Best Industrial Design Schools Near Chattanooga, TN (2026)

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

Chattanooga, Tennessee is home to about 182,832 residents. Median household income is $61,028 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area, the top-earning industrial design-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $163,720 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Industrial Design Schools to Chattanooga

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer industrial design programs near Chattanooga, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Chattanooga 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 Chattanooga

Chattanooga is part of the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area (BLS area code 16860). 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 $66,500 Chattanooga, TN-GA $72,678
Industrial Engineers $99,410 Chattanooga, TN-GA $108,645
Graphic Designers $55,250 Chattanooga, TN-GA $60,383
Mechanical Drafters $64,510 Chattanooga, TN-GA $70,503
Interior Designers $62,790 Chattanooga, TN-GA $68,623
Architectural and Engineering Managers $163,720 Chattanooga, TN-GA $178,929
Set and Exhibit Designers N/A TN statewide –
Mechanical Engineers $106,660 Chattanooga, TN-GA $116,568

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.

Chattanooga at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 182,832 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $61,028 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 35.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Chattanooga-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying industrial design-related roles near Chattanooga are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($163,720), Mechanical Engineers ($106,660), Industrial Engineers ($99,410). 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 East Ridge instead of Chattanooga?

East Ridge, TN is 4.9 miles from Chattanooga 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 Chattanooga an affordable place to study industrial design?

Chattanooga’s median household income of $61,028 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chattanooga 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 Chattanooga

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

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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