Best Industrial Design Schools Near Wilkes-Barre, PA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering industrial design programs. Wilkes-Barre has a population of about 44,217. Median household income is $47,970 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area, the top-earning industrial design-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $156,420 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Industrial Design Schools to Wilkes-Barre

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer industrial design programs near Wilkes-Barre, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Wilkes-Barre city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Wilkes-Barre. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, PA 40.4 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,148
Avg net price $18,134/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Pennsylvania College of Technology

Williamsport, PA 59.6 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,567
Avg net price $25,110/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Community College of Allegheny County

Pittsburgh, PA 223.4 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,449
Avg net price $13,970/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 88

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Pennsylvania schools on the Pennsylvania industrial design page.

Industrial Design Wages Near Wilkes-Barre

Wilkes-Barre is part of the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area (BLS area code 42540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Commercial and Industrial Designers $82,610 PA statewide $88,259
Industrial Engineers $93,100 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA $99,466
Graphic Designers $54,950 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA $58,707
Mechanical Drafters $59,270 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA $63,323
Interior Designers $60,690 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA $64,840
Architectural and Engineering Managers $156,420 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA $167,115
Set and Exhibit Designers $59,670 PA statewide $63,750
Mechanical Engineers $83,920 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA $89,658

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Wilkes-Barre at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 44,217 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $47,970 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 19.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.6 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Wilkes-Barre-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited industrial design schools are near Wilkes-Barre, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering industrial design programs near Wilkes-Barre. The closest is East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania in East Stroudsburg, PA (40.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is New Jersey Institute of Technology (95.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying industrial design roles near Wilkes-Barre?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying industrial design-related roles near Wilkes-Barre are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($156,420), Industrial Engineers ($93,100), Mechanical Engineers ($83,920). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Scranton instead of Wilkes-Barre?

Scranton, PA is 15.4 miles from Wilkes-Barre and has its own set of local industrial design programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Wilkes-Barre an affordable place to study industrial design?

Wilkes-Barre’s median household income of $47,970 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wilkes-Barre while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Industrial Design Programs

Other Programs Available in Wilkes-Barre

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Wilkes-Barre:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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