Best Product Design Schools: The Top Colleges and Universities for Product Design Programs (2024)

If you want to become a product designer then you need to know what the best schools for product design are. This in-depth article includes a list of the best schools for product design and the specific degrees each school offers. Find out the associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees available in product design.

In this article, we discuss how you can finance your education and the essential criteria to look at when choosing the best product design college for you. Continue reading to learn about jobs you can get with a product design degree from one of the best product design universities.

Best Product Design College and University Rankings: Top 10 Product Design Schools at a Glance

Product Design School Rankings: Best Product Design Colleges and Universities

A product design degree can give you all the necessary skills needed to start a career in product design. Below we discuss the best product design universities and colleges and their degrees offered, from associate degrees all the way to master’s degrees.

The Best Schools for Product Design: Types of College Degrees and University Programs Offered

The kind of degree you pursue depends on your career and education goals. Read the in-depth descriptions of all the different product design programs listed below, from a community college certificate to a doctoral degree.

Comparing Popular Degree Options

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Best Product Design Schools: Other Product Design University Rankings

Choosing which product design school to attend can be confusing. Below we break down the best product design schools and the product design university rankings of the best schools. We also look at the best dual and accelerated degree programs.

Best Online Product Design Schools

1. Academy of Art University. This university offers product design bachelor’s degrees and Master’s Degrees in Industrial Design. Academy of Art University is ranked as one of the top ten art schools in the US. You can earn your industrial design degree online.
2. Carnegie Mellon University. Carnegie Mellon University has two online product design programs. Pursuing an online degree at this university ensures high-quality education, especially as it has 20 Nobel Prize winning faculty members.
3. Rhode Island School of Design. This university offers an excellent online product design certificate to help you gain valuable skills in product design while learning online. US News & World Report ranks Rhode Island School of Design as the fifth-best fine arts school in the US.

Best Community Colleges for Product Design

1. CUNY LaGuardia Community College. This community college is ranked as the seventh-best community college in New York. It offers many associate degrees such as accounting, industrial design, and engineering degrees.
2. Gateway Community College. Students at Gateway Community College can pursue many different associate degrees including landscape design, industrial design technology, and engineering. It ranks as the best community college in Arizona.
3. NHTI – Concord’s Community College. This community college offers an industrial design associate degree and is ranked the third-best community college in the Manchester area.

Best Undergraduate Schools for Product Design

1. ArtCenter College of Design. At ArtCenter College of Design, students can pursue many different design degrees and learn from a faculty of practicing professionals in the product design industry.
2. Georgia Institute of Technology. This school has plenty of internship opportunities for students to gain real-world experience in product design. Students also have access to career services to help them find a job soon after graduation.
3. Pratt Institute. Pratt Institute has a high-quality product design program that helps students learn essential skills for the product and industrial design industry. This institution has over 20 study abroad programs available to students.

Best Graduate Schools for Product Design

1. North Carolina State University. This university has many degree options, such as agriculture, design, and engineering. Students get a high-quality education at this university and can work closely with professors because of its 15 to one student to faculty ratio.
2. Northwestern University. Students at Northwestern University can earn a Master’s Degree in Product Design and Development. Students learn through hands-on activities and projects that facilitate real-world experience in product design.
3. Pratt Institute. Students at Pratt Institute pursuing an industrial design master’s degree learn from award-winning faculty members working actively in the industry.

Best Product Design Schools With Dual Degree Programs

1. Boston University | MBA+MS in Product Design & Manufacture. This dual degree takes six years to complete and combines a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Product Design and Manufacture. Students learn about product quality and advanced product design.
2. Oregon State University | Dual Major in Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering—Product Development Option. Students simultaneously earn a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor of Manufacturing Engineering in Product Development.
3. University of Pennsylvania | MBA and Master of Integrated Product Design. This dual degree takes between two to three years and requires students to complete 23 to 24 credit units. Students learn and improve business and product design skills simultaneously.

Best Schools With Accelerated Product Design Programs

1. The Savannah College of Art and Design | Accelerated Dual Bachelor of Fine arts in industrial design and Master of fine arts. This accelerated degree consists of 270 credit hours. 180 credits go towards the bachelor’s degree, while 90 credits go towards the master’s degree. Students can complete both degrees in four to five years.
2. Arizona State University | Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Design in Industrial Design. Students learn about industrial design and product design principles while earning 120 credits. This accelerated bachelor’s degree takes two-and-a-half to three years to complete.
3. Rochester Institute of Technology | 4+2 BFA/M.Arch. Pathway. Students earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design and a Master of Architecture in six years. Students learn design drawing, architectural design, and the history of industrial design.

Easy Colleges to Get Into

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Is Graduate School for Product Design Worth It?

Yes, it is worth going to graduate school for product design. Although there aren’t many PhDs available in the US for product design, you can pursue a Master’s Degree in Product and Industrial Design.

Completing a Master’s Degree in Product or Industrial Design at the best product design schools will help you advance your product design skills and open up many new career opportunities.

After graduating with a master’s degree, students become qualified for senior positions and earn a higher salary. According to an analysis done in 2020 by Statista, the average salary of a master’s degree graduate is $92,272, which is significantly higher than the $73,499 average for a bachelor’s degree graduate.

What Jobs Can You Do With a Product Design Degree?

The jobs you can get with a product design degree are product designer, industrial designer, product manager, and product design professor. Product design jobs are high-paying and require design and communication skills. The higher your degree level, the higher your salary and the more senior-level positions you can get.

Pursuing a product or industrial design degree teaches you vital skills and knowledge with hands-on learning and internships. You will also get a chance to develop advanced artistic techniques. Some product design degree programs include real-world projects for real clients.

How Much Can I Earn With a Degree in Product Design?

You can earn an average salary of $86,477 as a product designer, according to PayScale. Your average salary depends on factors like degree level, location, and job duties. The average annual salary for a Bachelor of Science in Product Design is $67,000, while the salary for a Master of Science in Product Design is $89,000. A degree in product design prepares you to enter a high-paying product design career.

Highest-Paying Product Design Careers

Best Jobs With a Product Design Degree

The best jobs with a product design degree focus on the process of designing a functional product. These jobs aim to improve people’s lives by creating human-centered products that address and solve problems. They design products, services, and systems.

Earning a product design degree can get you a high-paying job with a salary between $48,907 and $103,150 per year. Learning product design from the best product design colleges helps you become a product designer, CAD technician, graphic designer, or product design professor. Below we discuss the best product design degree jobs according to degree level.

How Can I Pay for Product Design School?

You can pay for product design school by applying for financial aid at your university. There are many financing options available to undergraduate and graduate students. Financial aid is awarded on a need base and a merit base.

You can apply for federal student aid, loans, fellowships, grants, and work-study programs. If you need financial assistance for your degree, contact your school to learn about its financing options. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 86 percent of undergraduates received financial aid during the 2018 to 2019 academic year.

• Grants. According to Statista, $58 billion in institutional grants were awarded to students in 2021. Grants are typically awarded to students who show financial need. It doesn’t need to be repaid and is awarded by the state or your institution.
• Fellowships and scholarships. These financial aid options are essentially monetary gifts that go towards specific expenses such as tuition. Some scholarships cover all costs, while others cover a portion. Scholarships don’t need to be paid back, and fellowships are only awarded to graduate students.
• Loans. Most universities and colleges have federal loans available, which students can apply for by completing a FAFSA form. Private loans are also usually available through private lenders.
• Assistantships. Assistantships offer financial assistance in the form of a tuition waiver. Students who complete assistantships usually work as teaching or research assistants in a particular department. Assistantships are only available to graduate students.
• Student employment. While studying at a university, some students want to earn money to help pay for their degrees. Many universities have work-study programs where students can get a job on campus and make extra money to pay off their degree.

How to Pay for Your Chosen School Education Path

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Choosing the Best Product Design School for You

To choose the best product design school for you, consider the mode of delivery, tuition costs, and degree levels offered. Continue reading below for a breakdown of critical factors for choosing the best product design universities and why you need to consider them.

Flexibility and Format

The delivery method and flexibility of the program impact your education. Attending a traditional, on-campus product design program provides access to student organizations, Greek life, and in-person classes.

If you want to study while you work or travel, an online product design degree may suit your educational needs. You can start your product design journey and study online at your own pace, to integrate your school schedule into your already busy schedule.

Cost and Financial Aid

The cost of a product design degree is a deciding factor because everyone has different budgets and financial abilities. Look for a product design degree in your price range or apply to a school with good financial aid options available.

Students attending a community college pay less tuition than private university students. According to Statista, the average tuition for a two-year degree at a public school is $13,130, while the tuition of a degree at a four-year private institution is $51,690.

Accreditation

When searching for the best product design universities, you should look for accredited institutions. There are many reasons why accreditation is important, with the most important being that accreditation assures an institution meets high education standards and delivers good quality training.

Degree Levels Available

While searching for the best product design school for you, you need to know what degree level you want to pursue. This will help you narrow your search. For example, if you’re going to pursue a product design bachelor’s degree, you will look for the best product design bachelor’s degree schools.

Career Services

Finding a job after completing your degree may be a daunting and challenging endeavor, but attending a college with career services will make it much more manageable. Look for one of the best product design colleges with career services to help you prepare for your next job interview, write a resume, and write a cover letter. Some career services also include one on one career coaching sessions.

How to Get Into the Right School for Your Profession

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Does It Matter What College I Go to for Product Design?

Yes, it does matter what college you go to for product design. What college or university you go to depends on factors like your career goals. For example, your career goals influence which product design school you attend because some schools specialize in specific fields of product design that may or may not align with your interests.

To ensure high-quality education, you should look at the faculty to see who you’ll learn from. Look at the university’s product design program rankings, as well. If you intend to earn an associate degree, you may want to go to a community college. However, if you pursue a bachelor’s degree, you need to attend one of the best product design universities.

Product Design University Ranking Methodology: How We Ranked the Best Schools for Product Design

We ranked the best product design schools by consulting the university rankings conducted by US News & World Report and Times Higher Education. To further refine our product design university ranking methodology, we gave special consideration to things like reputation, graduation rate, student-to-faculty ratio, and breadth and depth of product design degree program offerings.

Additional Reading About Product Design

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Best Product Design Schools FAQ