Your Future
Build Your Brightest Future
At ID, design and leadership mean something different: it’s yes, and.
Here you will master design-driven leadership—and discover that it’s a positive sum game.
Here, you can gain the skills to earn a living—and use creativity to make a meaningful difference.
According to The Wall Street Journal and U.S. News & World Report, the returns are superior for those who invest in an ID education.
ID student Tommie Collins pictured at Kaplan
About Our Outcomes
ID and Illinois Tech are consistently recognized for outstanding academic and alumni outcomes.
Top Earnings
- Institute of Design: #1 for Earnings in Master’s Degrees in Design & Applied Arts—2021 (Wall Street Journal)
- Illinois Tech: #1 for Best Salaries in the State—2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. (Wall Street Journal/College Pulse)
- Illinois Tech: #16 for Salary Impact in the U.S.—2024 Best Colleges in the U.S. (Wall Street Journal/College Pulse)
University Rankings
- Illinois Tech: #1 in Illinois—2024 Best Colleges in the U.S. (Wall Street Journal/College Pulse)
- Illinois Tech: #23 in the U.S.—2024 Best Colleges in the U.S. (Wall Street Journal)
- Illinois Tech: #29 Best Value School in America—2024 and 2025 (U.S. News & World Report)
- Illinois Tech: Ranked Among Top 100 Universities in the US—2026 (TIME/Statista)
Alumni Roles
Our alumni work in a range of roles and industries after graduation, including business services, technology, and healthcare. Learn more about our alumni.
From Our Students
Why ID?
“I have the opportunity to really dig deep into systems and understand what needs to change and why it needs to change.”
—Faysal Biobaku (MDes 2024)
“If you’re considering design in general, ID is the place to be for thinking broadly and deeply about what design means.”
—Michael George (MDes + MBA 2025)
Why Did You Come to ID?
“I came to ID during a crossroads in my life where I wanted to figure out how to blend the skills that I’ve learned with the skills that I want.”
—Sai Allena (MDes + MBA 2024)
“There were so many large systemic problems that my background in architecture and structural engineering was not preparing me to solve.”
—Tera Delancy (MDes + MBA 2024)
What Makes ID Special?
“I love the small intimacy you receive at ID.”
—Selena Burke (PhD 2025)
“I’m an international student, but I’ve never been in a room where there’s so many different nationalities, races, backgrounds.”
—Samantha Chandra (MDes 2025)
End of Year Show
At our annual End of Year Show (EOYS), current ID students show off their hard work and invite the whole ID community to explore the state of design, how it’s changing, and where it’s going.
Here’s a snapshot of EOYS 2024. Join us for EOYS 2025, coming May 16!
