So you think you want to take your product design skills to the next level? Or maybe you are just starting out and wondering how to get the skills that you need? In either case, the right education in product design is exactly what you need to succeed. However, with so many schools, it might be hard to decide where to start. I have carefully selected the best product design schools and I am happy to share the list I have.
The first product design school on my list is Standford’s d.school. That’s right, Standford. If you are not familiar with it, allow me to inform you that the d.school is one of the most prestigious design schools. And this is precisely because they focus on innovation, creativity, and, most importantly, user-centered design.
Address: 416 Escondido Mall, Building 550, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Tuition at Stanford University's d.school ranges from $50,000 to $60,000 per year for undergraduate students and from $60,000 to $70,000 per year for graduate students, depending on the program.
Another acknowledged School of Design is Carnegie Mellon University. This school focuses on interdisciplinary design, which means that you will be working with engineers, business students, and other designers to develop the products that are beautiful as well as functional.
Address: Margaret Morrison Carnegie Hall, 5130 Margaret Morrison St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Tuition at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Design ranges from $50,000 to $60,000 per year for undergraduate students and from $60,000 to $70,000 per year for graduate students, depending on the program.
If you are looking for something with a little bit more severe focus on the technical aspects, I recommend looking into MIT. They have an Industrial Design Program that combines design with engineering and business to create valuable products that solve actual problems.
Address: 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Tuition at MIT ranges from $50,000 to $60,000 per year for undergraduate students and from $70,000 to $90,000 per year for graduate students, depending on the program.
Of course, I cannot complete the list without mentioning Rhode Island School of Design, the university that is seeing as one of the oldest design schools in the country. Here they will teach you everything from user research and prototyping to design strategy.
Address: 2 College St, Providence, RI 02903, USA
Tuition at MIT ranges from $45,000 to $50,000 per year for undergraduate students and from $60,000 to $70,000 per year for graduate students, depending on the program.
And finally, if you are interested in the real world of product design, look into California College of the Arts.
Address: 1111 Eighth Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
Tuition at MIT ranges from $27,000 to $45,000 per year for undergraduate students and from $50,000 to $70,000 per year for graduate students, depending on the program.
As for the honorable mention, I want to name School of Visual Arts, Pratt Institute, and University of California, Los Angeles. Two of them, SVA and Pratt Institute, offer a range of design courses. Check them out. The third one, UCLA, has a unique program that combines business, design, and engineering. I hope I was able to help you with my list of the best schools that provide product design education. I wish you good luck with your studies.
