2026 Best Value Industrial Design Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Industrial Design](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/industrial-design/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value industrial design schools.
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2026 Best Value Industrial Design Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in industrial design, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Industrial Design Schools
Wichita State University tops our 2026 list of the best value industrial design schools in the The Plains States Region. Set in the city of Wichita, Wichita State University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,684 in tuition and fees, compared with $19,869 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the industrial design program here. Industrial Design graduates of Wichita State University earn a median of $49,278 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 94%.
Students looking for strong value in industrial design will find it at University Of Minnesota Twin Cities, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,214, while out-of-state students pay about $38,362. Industrial Design graduates carry a median of $24,000 in student loans. Early-career industrial design graduates make about $42,462. That is a strong return on a $24,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Kansas State University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value industrial design schools. Set in the city of Manhattan, Kansas State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,221 in tuition and fees, compared with $28,568 for out-of-state students. Industrial Design graduates carry a median of $23,546 in student loans. Industrial Design graduates of Kansas State University earn a median of $43,992 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Iowa State University earned it the #4 place for industrial design. Set in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,787, compared with $28,881 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the industrial design program here. Industrial Design graduates of Iowa State University earn a median of $36,634 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Minneapolis College Of Art And Design came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value industrial design schools. Set in the city of Minneapolis, Minneapolis College Of Art And Design is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $45,484. Typical student debt for industrial design graduates is $27,000. Industrial Design graduates of Minneapolis College Of Art And Design earn a median of $23,687 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 48% of applicants are accepted.
Kansas City Art Institute landed the #6 spot for industrial design value this year. Set in the city of Kansas City, Kansas City Art Institute is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $44,550. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the industrial design program here. Soon after graduation, industrial design degree recipients from Kansas City Art Institute generally make around $29,513. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 55%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
