Best Instructional Design Schools Near Van Buren, AR (2026)

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

Van Buren, Arkansas has 4 accredited schools offering instructional design programs, with tuition ranging from $7,810 to $29,966 per year for indexed programs. Van Buren has a population of about 23,545. Median household income is $59,420 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Arkansas, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Training and Development Managers at a median $101,830 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Instructional Design Schools to Van Buren

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer instructional design programs near Van Buren, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Van Buren 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 Van Buren. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Sort:
#1

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR 44.1 miles from Van Buren
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,191
Avg net price $18,209/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,104
Out‑of‑state$29,966
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 142

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Arkansas Tech University

Russellville, AR 69.3 miles from Van Buren
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,766
Avg net price $12,970/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,674
Out‑of‑state$14,668
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas

De Queen, AR 97.0 miles from Van Buren
  • 2 year
41.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,775
Avg net price $4,385/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Central Arkansas

Conway, AR 109.9 miles from Van Buren
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,938
Avg net price $16,511/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Little Rock, AR 124.3 miles from Van Buren
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
42.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 59%
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,265
Avg net price $17,248/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,748
Out‑of‑state$22,158
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana

Hope, AR 132.0 miles from Van Buren
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,162
Avg net price $9,270/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Southern Arkansas University Main Campus

Magnolia, AR 162.0 miles from Van Buren
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,386
Avg net price $14,027/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Instructional Design Wages Near Van Buren

Van Buren is part of the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area (BLS area code 22900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arkansas statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Instructional Coordinators $69,000 Fort Smith, AR-OK $80,326
Training and Development Specialists $45,480 Fort Smith, AR-OK $52,945
Training and Development Managers $101,830 AR statewide $118,545
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $74,500 AR statewide $86,729
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other $39,380 AR statewide $45,844
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $75,180 Fort Smith, AR-OK $87,520
Farm and Home Management Educators $49,640 AR statewide $57,788
Graphic Designers $39,590 Fort Smith, AR-OK $46,088

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.

Van Buren at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 23,545 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $59,420 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 19.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 85.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Van Buren-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited instructional design schools are near Van Buren, AR?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering instructional design programs near Van Buren. The closest is University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR (44.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas (97.0 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying instructional design roles near Van Buren?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Van Buren are: Training and Development Managers ($101,830), Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($75,180), Education Teachers, Postsecondary ($74,500). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arkansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Fort Smith instead of Van Buren?

Fort Smith, AR is 6.9 miles from Van Buren 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 Van Buren an affordable place to study instructional design?

Van Buren’s median household income of $59,420 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Van Buren while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arkansas 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 Van Buren

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

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 Arkansas (2026)