Best Industrial Design Schools Near La Crosse, WI (2026)

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

La Crosse, Wisconsin has 1 accredited school offering industrial design programs. La Crosse has a population of about 51,791. Median household income is $53,803 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro area, the top-earning industrial design-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $160,540 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Industrial Design Schools to La Crosse

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer industrial design programs near La Crosse, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from La Crosse 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 La Crosse. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Graduation rate 57%

Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,084

Avg net price $17,490/yr

TuitionContact school for pricing

Contact

712 S Broadway St Menomonie, WI 54751
(715) 232-1122
Visit website

Key stats

Retention rate: 77%
Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDS College Scorecard

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

273 E Erie St Milwaukee, WI 53202-6003
(414) 847-3200
Visit website

Key stats

Retention rate: 82%
Programs offered: 5

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDS College Scorecard

Industrial Design Wages Near La Crosse

La Crosse is part of the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro area (BLS area code 29100). 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	$87,789
Industrial Engineers	$98,740	La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN	$107,560
Graphic Designers	$56,630	La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN	$61,688
Mechanical Drafters	$62,550	La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN	$68,137
Interior Designers	$61,890	La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN	$67,418
Architectural and Engineering Managers	$160,540	La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN	$174,880
Set and Exhibit Designers	N/A	WI statewide	–
Mechanical Engineers	$102,280	La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN	$111,416

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.

La Crosse at a Glance

Metric	Value	Source
Population	51,791	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$53,803	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	34.8%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)	91.8 (below U.S. average)	BEA RPP 2024

Other La Crosse-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs

Winona, MN – 27.0 mi away (30,208 pop)
Rochester, MN – 63.6 mi away (114,976 pop)
Eau Claire, WI – 70.1 mi away (106,681 pop)
Wisconsin Rapids, WI – 79.9 mi away (28,406 pop)
Austin, MN – 87.8 mi away (25,105 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited industrial design schools are near La Crosse, WI?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering industrial design programs near La Crosse. The closest is University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, WI (80.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-Stout (80.3 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying industrial design roles near La Crosse?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying industrial design-related roles near La Crosse are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($160,540), Mechanical Engineers ($102,280), Industrial Engineers ($98,740). 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 Winona instead of La Crosse?

Winona, MN is 27.0 miles from La Crosse 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 La Crosse an affordable place to study industrial design?

La Crosse’s median household income of $53,803 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in La Crosse 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 La Crosse

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

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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