The discipline of industrial design encompasses a myriad of creative streams that traverse much more than merely lighting and furniture. Industrial design students display their creative and analytical flair to craft beautiful creations from innovative new materials that have the potential to solve real-world problems. From stunning violin strings spun from spider silk to next-gen foldable phones, industrial designers combine the powers of artistic and engineering visualizations with an astute business development direction.
Here is a list of the top design schools for bachelors in Industrial Design in the world.
1. Parsons School of Design, New York, USA | Bachelors in Industrial Design
Degree: Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Tuition Fees: $50,460 per year
Course Duration: 4 years full-time
Parsons School of Design for bachelors in industrial design cultivates in its students the technical and critical skills required to ace the field of industrial design. At the undergraduate level, the college offers a comprehensive product design course, whereas a more focused industrial design course is a part of the graduate level. The accomplished faculty encourages students to design products that improve human capabilities and interaction.
Throughout the course, an emphasis is laid on sustainability and technological innovations that revolve around materials, aesthetics, and social engagement across diverse contexts. Some of the skills covered under this course include graphic representation, prototyping, and professional presentations.
2. OCAD University, Ontario, Canada
Degree: Bachelor of Design (B.Des.)
Tuition Fees: $7,300 per year
Course Duration: 4 years full-time
Students at OCAD-U immerse themselves in focused training, critical thinking, and applied research and experimentation. The curriculum’s approach to industrial design is interdisciplinary, explorative, and practice-based. What makes the course at this college unique from the rest is that it focuses on addressing global problems as stated by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The synthesis of disciplines encourages unique products such as an environment-friendly lunch kit that has an integrated function to monitor daily nutrition. The core principles focus on three aspects: the artifact, the system, and the experience.
3. Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Degree: Corso di Laurea (Equivalent to Bachelor of Science)
Tuition Fees: £ 3,500 per year
Course Duration: 3 years full-time
Politecnico di Milano is the best technical university for bachelors in industrial design in Italy with a strong teaching scheme that motivates its students to engage in experimental research and seamless conceptualization. The faculty of experienced tutors harness the technical and creative capacity of the students.
The learning structure has been designed to inculcate the best practices of design and research amongst students. The reputed college also offers inter-college collaboration opportunities with other top-level European colleges.
4. Polytechnic Institute of Virginia and the State University, USA | Bachelors in Industrial Design
Degree: Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Tuition Fees: $29,975 per year
Course Duration: 4 years full-time
Virginia Tech’s industrial design program is offered by its award-winning School of Architecture and Design. Its curriculum is a mark of excellence that leverages professional expertise, corporate partnerships, and hand-on-learning to proficiently prepare students to overcome obstacles in industrial design.
The industrial design program encourages students to implement humanistic values with technical skills to make accessible products. The multi-disciplinary approach of the industrial design college is a model of engineering, art, and applied sciences.
5. University of the Arts, London, England
Degree: BA (Hons) Product and Industrial Design
Tuition Fees: £9,250 per year – £22,920 per year
Course Duration: 3 years full-time or 4 years full time with a diploma in professional studies
The University of the Arts in London is a world-renowned institution that has received several accolades for being one of the premier industrial design schools in the world. The teaching environment and processes offered here have been devised to engage students in practical projects that inherently sharpen their design thinking.
The learning module includes workshop modes and guidelines to identify the needs of the target audience. The comprehensive course at this college helps its alumni thrive in the market.
6. Purdue University, Indiana, USA | Bachelors in Industrial Design
Degree: Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Tuition Fees: $28,804 per year
Course Duration: 4 years full-time
Purdue university is recognized across the United States for its land grant research. Its unique approach beautifully amalgamates the liberal arts, including literature, art, and writing. The NASAD-accredited professional program has been designed by expert scholars in a move to unite innovative technical and thinking capabilities.
This boosts industrial design aspirants, who in addition to leveraging technology, harness conventional design skills such as sketching and 3-D modeling using traditional tools. Perdue is a reputed university that ensures one’s entry into a rewarding career path.
In simple words, industrial design colleges are curated educational facilities that enable students to learn and inculcate all there is to know about industrial design—from conceptualization to the manufacturing process. This set of specialized skills helps industrial design enthusiasts to design safe, useful, and reasonably priced products that are manufactured ethically. Industrial design colleges cultivate talents and development for students to achieve success.
