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2023 Industrial Design Degree Guide

Industrial Design Degrees Shrinking in Popularity

#304 Most Popular Major
1.8k Degrees Awarded
-4.9% Increase in Graduates

In 2020-2021, industrial design was the 304th most popular major nationwide with 1,792 degrees awarded. This represents a 4.9% reduction in product design degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 1,879.

Our 2023 Best Industrial Design Schools ranking analyzes 54 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for industrial design students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of product design programs later in this article.

2023 Best Colleges for Industrial Design
2023 Overall Best Industrial Design Colleges >

Best Industrial Design Schools by Degree

Associate Degrees in Industrial Design
Bachelor's Degrees in Industrial Design
Master's Degrees in Industrial Design

What Are The Requirements For a Degree in Industrial Design

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times is a required skill for product design majors. Required skills include talking to others to convey information effectively and understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Product Design Degree Program Entry Requirements

A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most product design degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. Specific product design careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.

Types of Industrial Design Degrees

There are many different product design degree levels. You can get anything from a in industrial design to the highest product design degree, a . How long it takes to complete some common product design degree levels is shown below.

Degree Credit Requirements Typical Program Length
Associate Degree 60-70 credits 2 years
Bachelor’s Degree 120 credits 4 years
Master’s Degree 50-70 credits 1-3 years
Doctorate Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation At least 4 years

A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to product design, with approximately 47.8% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for product design workers below.

Level of Education Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree 37.2%
Master’s Degree 28.5%
Doctoral Degree 17.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 7.4%
Some College Courses 4.9%

Most workers in product design have at least a bachelor's degree. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in industrial design careers have.

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The education level required is different depending on the product design career you are seeking.

Career Opportunities for Product Design Majors

Average Number of Jobs
69.3k Avg. Related Jobs Salary
6% Growth Job Outlook 2016-26

Growth Projected for Product Design Careers

Want a job when you graduate with your product design degree? Industrial Design careers are expected to grow 6.4% between 2016 and 2026.

The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to industrial design.

Occupation Name Projected Jobs Expected Growth
Graphic Designers 277,400 4.2%
Art, Drama, and Music Professors 137,200 12.0%
Commercial and Industrial Designers 41,400 4.3%
Designers 9,500 5.6%

How Much Money Do People With a Product Design Degree Make?

As you might expect, salaries for product design graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.

High Paying Careers for Product Design Majors

Salaries for industrial design graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers product design grads often go into.

Occupation Name Median Average Salary
Art, Drama, and Music Professors $82,560
Commercial and Industrial Designers $71,430
Designers $68,610
Graphic Designers $54,680

Getting Your Industrial Design Degree

With over 111 different product design degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased product design school rankings to help you with this.

Industrial Design is one of 9 different types of Design & Applied Arts programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Graphic Design 8,710
Interior Design 5,840
Visual Communications 5,765
Commercial & Advertising Art 3,597
Fashion Design 3,103

View All Product Design Related Majors >

References

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