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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Industrial Design Schools in the Southeast Region

7 Colleges in the United States
233 Industrial Design Degrees Awarded
$41,984 Avg Early-Career Salary

Industrial Design degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for industrial design students pursuing a degree.

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Best Schools for Industrial Design in the Southeast Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall industrial design education in the Southeast Region.

Top Schools in Industrial Design

1

Our analysis ranked North Carolina State University At Raleigh the best school in the country for a degree in industrial design. Located in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public university. Roughly 85% of students complete a degree within six years here. North Carolina State University At Raleigh awarded about 22 industrial design degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the industrial design program make about $48,940 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $20,500 to complete this degree. Get the full industrial design details for North Carolina State University At Raleigh

2

Students looking for a strong industrial design program will find one at Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public university. Roughly 86% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 36 industrial design degrees were awarded at Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University in the most recent year. Industrial Design graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earn a median of $46,761 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $25,802 to complete this degree. Get the full industrial design details for Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University

3
Clemson University crest
Clemson University
Clemson, SC

Students looking for a strong industrial design program will find one at Clemson University, which ranked #3. This very large public university is located in the suburb of Clemson. The six-year graduation rate is 87%. There were roughly 78 industrial design students who graduated with this degree at Clemson University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their industrial design degree from Clemson University earn around $46,689 in the first couple years of their career. Clemson University graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. See the full industrial design program report for Clemson University

4
Auburn University crest
Auburn University
Auburn, AL

Auburn University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best industrial design schools. Auburn University is a very large public school located in the city of Auburn. The six-year graduation rate is 82%. Auburn University awarded about 44 industrial design degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the industrial design program make about $46,585 in their early career. Auburn University graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. See the full industrial design program report for Auburn University

5

Appalachian State University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in industrial design, landing the #5 spot this year. Appalachian State University is a very large public school located in the town of Boone. Roughly 74% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 37 industrial design students who graduated with this degree at Appalachian State University in the most recent data year. Industrial Design graduates of Appalachian State University earn a median of $34,722 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $21,500 to complete this degree. See the full industrial design program report for Appalachian State University

6

University Of Louisiana Lafayette landed the #6 spot for industrial design this year. University Of Louisiana Lafayette is a large public school located in the city of Lafayette. University Of Louisiana Lafayette graduates 53% of students within six years. There were roughly 16 industrial design students who graduated with this degree at University Of Louisiana Lafayette in the most recent data year. Industrial Design graduates of University Of Louisiana Lafayette earn a median of $28,206 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $20,416 to complete this degree. Read more about the industrial design program at University Of Louisiana Lafayette

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Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 9 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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