Best Industrial Design Schools Near Appleton, WI (2026)

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

Appleton, Wisconsin has 1 accredited school offering industrial design programs, with tuition ranging from $43,743 to $53,528 per year for indexed programs. Appleton has a population of about 74,873. Median household income is $77,450 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Appleton, WI metro area, the top-earning industrial design-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $134,430 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Industrial Design Schools to Appleton

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

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design

Milwaukee, WI 89.4 miles from Appleton
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
32.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 61%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,174
Avg net price $26,541/yr
Tuition
In‑state$43,743
Out‑of‑state$43,743
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Wisconsin-Stout

Menomonie, WI 178.9 miles from Appleton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,084
Avg net price $17,490/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Industrial Design Wages Near Appleton

Appleton is part of the Appleton, WI metro area (BLS area code 11540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Wisconsin statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Commercial and Industrial Designers $80,590 WI statewide $87,219
Industrial Engineers $95,380 Appleton, WI $103,225
Graphic Designers $59,980 Appleton, WI $64,913
Mechanical Drafters $64,320 Appleton, WI $69,610
Interior Designers $55,780 Appleton, WI $60,368
Architectural and Engineering Managers $134,430 Appleton, WI $145,487
Set and Exhibit Designers N/A WI statewide –
Mechanical Engineers $85,260 Appleton, WI $92,273

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.

Appleton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 74,873 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $77,450 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 37.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Appleton-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited industrial design schools are near Appleton, WI?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering industrial design programs near Appleton. The closest is Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design in Milwaukee, WI (89.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (89.4 miles).

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying industrial design-related roles near Appleton are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($134,430), Industrial Engineers ($95,380), Mechanical Engineers ($85,260). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Wisconsin statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Neenah instead of Appleton?

Neenah, WI is 8.7 miles from Appleton 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 Appleton an affordable place to study industrial design?

Appleton’s median household income of $77,450 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Appleton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Wisconsin 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 Appleton

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

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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