Make:’s Best Maker Schools 2022 is a global, non-ranked discovery guide to higher-education institutions where students can build practical skills through hands-on work. It spans engineering, design, digital fabrication, traditional craft, and vocational training. Treat it as a starting point—not a current ranking: the list describes recommendations gathered in 2022, and each school’s present-day programs and workshop access should be confirmed directly.
What Make: meant by a maker school
Make: frames maker education around “learning by doing.” Its definition reaches beyond engineering labs: it includes electronics and engineering, 3D design and digital fabrication, and traditional craft skills. The 2022 article described the wider movement as supported by 2,000 shared makerspaces and Maker Faire events in 72 countries; those are figures Make: published in 2022, not a current count or independently established trend series.
The guide was the second annual edition of Make:’s higher-education list. It highlights institutions that Make: said had invested in maker-focused programs and on-campus makerspaces.
How schools were selected—and what inclusion tells you
Make: gathered recommendations through a survey from an international community of educators, administrators, students, and maker leaders. Recommended schools were expected to demonstrate strength in five areas:
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- An integrated learning-through-doing orientation.
- Mentoring, guidance, or coaching for making.
- Physical makerspaces, fab labs, workshops, or studios.
- Spaces and tools accessible for independent and collaborative projects.
- A diverse, active maker community.
The result is explicitly non-ranked. Inclusion signals a community recommendation against those criteria; it is not an audited assessment, standardized score, or guarantee that a school is best for every student.
What kinds of schools appear on the list
The roster covers institutions across Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malawi, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the UAE, the UK, and the USA.
Rank #2
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It deliberately mixes disciplines and school types. Examples include engineering and science institutions such as MIT, Georgia Tech, Olin College, TU Delft, and the University of Toronto; art and design schools such as Rhode Island School of Design, Emily Carr University of Art+Design, and Pratt Institute; and craft or trade-oriented options such as Penland School of Craft and IYRS School of Technology and Trades. The roster also includes institutions such as Aalto University, ENSCI Les Ateliers, University of Ghana, University of Auckland, and University of Pretoria, alongside community and technical colleges.
That breadth matters: a “maker school” might emphasize robotics, product design, architecture, media arts, fine craft, or vocational trades rather than offering the same kind of program under a common label. Make: says it sought geographic balance and considered accessibility, location, and cost, but the article does not provide comparable tuition, equipment inventories, admissions details, or student-outcome statistics.
Rank #3
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How to compare maker education colleges
Use the 2022 list to build a shortlist, then compare the specific program and facilities you would actually use. A university may have impressive equipment without giving every student open access; conversely, a focused studio or trade program may offer more direct practice in a narrower field.
Learning model
Check whether building, prototyping, testing, and iteration are required parts of the curriculum or mostly optional extracurricular activities. Look at course descriptions and project requirements in your intended major, not only a university-wide makerspace page.
Rank #4
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Facilities and access
Identify the tools relevant to your goals: electronics benches, 3D printers, CNC equipment, laser cutters, machine shops, craft studios, or digital-fabrication labs. Ask who may use each space, whether access is limited to certain departments or courses, what training is required, and whether materials or machine time carry additional fees.
Mentoring and community
Find out whether technical coaching is embedded in classes or depends on a student seeking help independently. Ask about cross-disciplinary projects, student maker clubs, public workshops, and any connection to local maker events; an active community can affect how much support and collaboration is available beyond class time.
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Discipline fit, access, and total cost
Match the school’s emphasis—engineering, product design, architecture, craft, media arts, robotics, or trades—to the work you want to do. Then compare location, tuition and fees, schedule, prerequisites, and eligibility to use facilities. The 2022 guide does not supply standardized values for these items, so use current information from each institution rather than inferring it from inclusion on the list.
How to use the 2022 list in 2026
Make:’s guide is useful as a broad international discovery resource, especially if you are looking beyond conventional engineering programs for universities with makerspaces or schools for fabrication and 3D design. It does not establish that every listed lab, course, or access policy remains unchanged. Before applying or making a recommendation, verify the current program, workshop availability, equipment, student eligibility, tuition, admissions requirements, and course schedule directly with the institution.
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