Best Instructional Design Schools Near Decatur, AL (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Decatur, Alabama has 3 accredited schools offering instructional design programs, with tuition ranging from $12,180 to $34,172 per year for indexed programs. Decatur has a population of about 57,974. In Alabama, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Training and Development Managers at a median $128,750 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Instructional Design Schools to Decatur

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer instructional design programs near Decatur, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Decatur city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Decatur. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of North Alabama

Florence, AL 42.4 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,415
Avg net price $12,170/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville, AL 87.1 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,235
Avg net price $14,279/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL 99.3 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
69.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 77%
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,221
Avg net price $22,420/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,180
Out‑of‑state$34,172
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 115

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Montevallo

Montevallo, AL 101.6 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,957
Avg net price $17,683/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of West Alabama

Livingston, AL 153.5 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,232
Avg net price $12,684/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Auburn University at Montgomery

Montgomery, AL 159.4 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
42.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,391
Avg net price $13,224/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,700
Out‑of‑state$20,668
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Auburn University

Auburn, AL 161.5 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
76.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 46%
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,337
Avg net price $24,323/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,890
Out‑of‑state$34,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 151

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Mobile

Mobile, AL 269.4 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
42.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,611
Avg net price $22,382/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama instructional design page.

Instructional Design Wages Near Decatur

Decatur is part of the Decatur, AL metro area (BLS area code 19460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Instructional Coordinators $69,000 AL statewide $79,128
Training and Development Specialists $93,230 Decatur, AL $106,915
Training and Development Managers $128,750 AL statewide $147,649
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $63,730 AL statewide $73,085
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other $37,630 AL statewide $43,154
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $100,030 AL statewide $114,713
Farm and Home Management Educators $58,330 AL statewide $66,892
Graphic Designers $46,170 Decatur, AL $52,947

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Decatur at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 87.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Decatur-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited instructional design schools are near Decatur, AL?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering instructional design programs near Decatur. The closest is University of North Alabama in Florence, AL (42.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is The University of Alabama (99.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying instructional design roles near Decatur?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Decatur are: Training and Development Managers ($128,750), Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($100,030), Training and Development Specialists ($93,230). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Athens instead of Decatur?

Athens, AL is 14.7 miles from Decatur and has its own set of local instructional design programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Instructional Design Programs

Other Programs Available in Decatur

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Decatur:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Instructional Design Schools in Alabama (2026)