2026 Best Value Industrial Design Schools in New Jersey
[Industrial Design](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/industrial-design/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for industrial design students.
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2026 Best Value Industrial Design Schools in New Jersey
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the industrial design degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Industrial Design Schools
Kean University tops our 2026 list of the best value industrial design schools in New Jersey. Set in the suburb of Union, Kean University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,299, compared with $22,446 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,713 to complete the industrial design program here. Industrial Design graduates of Kean University earn a median of $35,673 early in their careers. Set against $26,713 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Montclair State University one of the best values for industrial design. Located in the suburb of Montclair, Montclair State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,912, with out-of-state students paying around $26,022. Industrial Design graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Early-career industrial design graduates make about $26,027. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Montclair State University admits about 88% of applicants.
New Jersey Institute Of Technology came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value industrial design schools. Set in the city of Newark, New Jersey Institute Of Technology is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $19,974, with out-of-state students paying around $37,664. Industrial Design graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, industrial design degree recipients from New Jersey Institute Of Technology generally make around $38,975. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 65%.
More Industrial Design Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
