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Best Industrial Design Schools Near Parkersburg, WV (2026)
Updated September 5, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Parkersburg, West Virginia has 2 accredited schools offering industrial design programs. Parkersburg has a population of about 29,461. Median household income is $44,675 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In West Virginia, the top-earning industrial design-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $149,430 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Industrial Design Schools to Parkersburg
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer industrial design programs near Parkersburg, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Parkersburg city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
Parkersburg is part of the Parkersburg-Vienna, WV metro area (BLS area code 37620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to West Virginia statewide.
Occupation
Median Wage
Source
COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Commercial and Industrial Designers
$73,030
WV statewide
$83,846
Industrial Engineers
$108,360
WV statewide
$124,409
Graphic Designers
$39,250
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV
$45,063
Mechanical Drafters
$65,100
WV statewide
$74,742
Interior Designers
$49,800
WV statewide
$57,176
Architectural and Engineering Managers
$149,430
WV statewide
$171,561
Set and Exhibit Designers
N/A
WV statewide
–
Mechanical Engineers
$109,370
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV
$125,568
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.
Parkersburg at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
29,461
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$44,675
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
18.5%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)
87.1 (below U.S. average)
BEA RPP 2024
Other Parkersburg-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs
How many accredited industrial design schools are near Parkersburg, WV?
Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering industrial design programs near Parkersburg. The closest is Columbus College of Art & Design in Columbus, OH (91.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Ohio State University-Main Campus (93.2 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying industrial design roles near Parkersburg?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying industrial design-related roles near Parkersburg are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($149,430), Mechanical Engineers ($109,370), Industrial Engineers ($108,360). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with West Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Marietta instead of Parkersburg?
Marietta, OH is 12.3 miles from Parkersburg 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 Parkersburg an affordable place to study industrial design?
Parkersburg’s median household income of $44,675 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Parkersburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and West 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.
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.