Best Industrial Design Schools Near Bristol, TN (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Bristol, Tennessee has 1 accredited school offering industrial design programs. Bristol has a population of about 27,490. Median household income is $55,007 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area, the top-earning industrial design-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $138,550 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Industrial Design Schools to Bristol

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

No school data available.

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

Industrial Design Wages Near Bristol

Bristol is part of the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area (BLS area code 28700). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Commercial and Industrial Designers $71,230 TN statewide $82,442
Industrial Engineers $98,000 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $113,426
Graphic Designers $49,570 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $57,373
Mechanical Drafters $63,390 TN statewide $73,368
Interior Designers $63,660 TN statewide $73,681
Architectural and Engineering Managers $138,550 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $160,359
Set and Exhibit Designers N/A TN statewide –
Mechanical Engineers $94,560 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $109,444

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.

Bristol at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 27,490 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $55,007 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 29.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 86.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Bristol-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited industrial design schools are near Bristol, TN?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering industrial design programs near Bristol. The closest is Appalachian State University in Boone, NC (37.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Appalachian State University (37.9 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying industrial design roles near Bristol?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying industrial design-related roles near Bristol are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($138,550), Industrial Engineers ($98,000), Mechanical Engineers ($94,560). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Johnson City instead of Bristol?

Johnson City, TN is 17.6 miles from Bristol 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 Bristol an affordable place to study industrial design?

Bristol’s median household income of $55,007 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bristol while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee 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 Bristol

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

Data verified: September 6, 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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