<p>Hey, I'm new here and I was wondering can anyone give me like a Top 5 or so list of the best Industrial Design Schools in the US.</p>
<p>And maybe just in general and good tips/hints about it.</p>
<p>Downfall, here is a list that may not be in any particular order:</p>
<ol>
<li>University of Cincinnati</li>
<li>CMU</li>
<li>Pratt Institute</li>
<li>RISD (although I have heard some negative stuff about their ID department)</li>
<li>Art Center College of Design.</li>
</ol>
<p>My son is currently a junior ID major at RISD and he loves it there. He is very pleased with the education he is getting there. It helped him land a paid internship at a product design firm this past summer.</p>
<p>Here's a link to a website that will help you get started on your search for ID schools and give you some general info about how to choose a school:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.core77.com/design.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.core77.com/design.edu/</a></p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Check out the ID school discussion here:
<a href="http://boards.core77.com/viewforum.php?f=1%5B/url%5D">http://boards.core77.com/viewforum.php?f=1</a></p>
<p>Awesome, thanks everyone.</p>
<p>Which is the best ID school in Cali?</p>
<p>Academy of Art University or Art Center College of Design?</p>
<p>Art Center College definitely has the better reputation. Be aware, however, that admission into ACCD is EXTREMELY competitive, and because of the intensity and specialized focus of the school's programs, it actually discourages applications directly from high school. </p>
<p>Look, for example, at the portfolio requirements for admission into the ID major. (ACCD calls it "product design".) You have to provide 3 or more original product designs, including documentation of the development process (market research, intermediate sketches, etc.) for one of them. That's hard to do with just a high school art background.</p>
<p>Definitely Art Center if you want to be in California.</p>
<p>As for the top five, I won't debate the order because once you get that high up it's pretty much not worth debating. I think that College of Creative Studies might be better than CMU and/or RISD, especially if transportation design is an option you are considering. Transportation design and product design are both subsets of Industrial Design, and some programs are much stronger in one than the other, so that's something to consider. </p>
<p>I've heard the chatter about RISD's program as well, though it does seem like they are trying to improve it and ground it more in reality.</p>