Best Industrial Design Schools Near Richmond, VA (2026)

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

Richmond, Virginia has 1 accredited school offering industrial design programs. Richmond has a population of about 227,595. Median household income is $62,671 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Richmond, VA metro area, the top-earning industrial design-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $167,170 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Industrial Design Schools to Richmond

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

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA 94.4 miles from Richmond
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,813
Avg net price $29,357/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 178

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA 163.2 miles from Richmond
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $81,698
Avg net price $24,953/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 153

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Industrial Design Wages Near Richmond

Richmond is part of the Richmond, VA metro area (BLS area code 40060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Commercial and Industrial Designers $89,360 Richmond, VA $91,277
Industrial Engineers $103,180 Richmond, VA $105,393
Graphic Designers $66,350 Richmond, VA $67,773
Mechanical Drafters $69,630 Richmond, VA $71,124
Interior Designers $58,790 Richmond, VA $60,051
Architectural and Engineering Managers $167,170 Richmond, VA $170,756
Set and Exhibit Designers $51,840 Richmond, VA $52,952
Mechanical Engineers $104,130 Richmond, VA $106,364

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.

Richmond at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 227,595 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $62,671 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 44.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Richmond-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited industrial design schools are near Richmond, VA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering industrial design programs near Richmond. The closest is Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA (94.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Liberty University (94.4 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying industrial design-related roles near Richmond are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($167,170), Mechanical Engineers ($104,130), Industrial Engineers ($103,180). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Hopewell instead of Richmond?

Hopewell, VA is 19.1 miles from Richmond 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 Richmond an affordable place to study industrial design?

Richmond’s median household income of $62,671 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Richmond while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Richmond

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

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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