Best Instructional Design Schools Near Mesa, AZ (2026)

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

Mesa, Arizona has 4 accredited schools offering instructional design programs. Mesa has a population of about 507,478. Median household income is $78,779 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Training and Development Managers at a median $127,900 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Instructional Design Schools to Mesa

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer instructional design programs near Mesa, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Mesa 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 Mesa. 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

American InterContinental University System

Chandler, AZ 9.8 miles from Mesa
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
27.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 15%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,144
Avg net price $15,172/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 23%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Arizona State University Digital Immersion

Scottsdale, AZ 12.7 miles from Mesa
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
61.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,668
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 140

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Phoenix-Arizona

Phoenix, AZ 17.0 miles from Mesa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
30.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,752
Avg net price $13,520/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 41%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, AZ 25.0 miles from Mesa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
33.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,186
Avg net price $22,472/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, AZ 123.5 miles from Mesa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,384
Avg net price $14,158/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 176

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Instructional Design Wages Near Mesa

Mesa is part of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area (BLS area code 38060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arizona statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Instructional Coordinators $65,340 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $63,253
Training and Development Specialists $66,710 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $64,579
Training and Development Managers $127,900 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $123,814
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $78,520 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $76,012
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other $50,610 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $48,993
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $103,280 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $99,981
Farm and Home Management Educators $73,210 AZ statewide $70,871
Graphic Designers $59,090 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $57,202

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.

Mesa at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 507,478 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $78,779 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 31.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Mesa-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited instructional design schools are near Mesa, AZ?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering instructional design programs near Mesa. The closest is American InterContinental University System in Chandler, AZ (9.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Grand Canyon University (25.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Mesa are: Training and Development Managers ($127,900), Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($103,280), Education Teachers, Postsecondary ($78,520). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arizona statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Gilbert instead of Mesa?

Gilbert, AZ is 6.5 miles from Mesa 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.

Is Mesa an affordable place to study instructional design?

Mesa’s median household income of $78,779 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Mesa while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arizona public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

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 Mesa

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

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.

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