Best Instructional Design Schools Near Monterey, CA (2026)

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

Monterey, California has 5 accredited schools offering instructional design programs, with tuition ranging from $7,583 to $26,987 per year for indexed programs. Monterey has a population of about 29,772. Median household income is $104,110 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Training and Development Managers at a median $156,260 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Instructional Design Schools to Monterey

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

California State University-Monterey Bay

Seaside, CA 6.3 miles from Monterey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,247
Avg net price $13,663/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,779
Out‑of‑state$20,379
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 54.9 miles from Monterey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,072
Avg net price $7,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA 74.2 miles from Monterey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,401
Avg net price $9,320/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,583
Out‑of‑state$20,183
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 84.6 miles from Monterey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,077
Avg net price $12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 102

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA 87.4 miles from Monterey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
20.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,008
Avg net price $40,613/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 87.6 miles from Monterey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,812
Avg net price $41,431/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 249.0 miles from Monterey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,115
Avg net price $7,021/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,458
Out‑of‑state$20,058
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA 251.3 miles from Monterey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,939
Avg net price $58,098/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Instructional Design Wages Near Monterey

Monterey is part of the Salinas, CA metro area (BLS area code 41500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Instructional Coordinators $94,850 Salinas, CA $87,018
Training and Development Specialists $66,030 Salinas, CA $60,578
Training and Development Managers $156,260 CA statewide $143,358
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $111,850 CA statewide $102,615
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other $64,660 Salinas, CA $59,321
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $125,460 CA statewide $115,101
Farm and Home Management Educators $98,770 CA statewide $90,615
Graphic Designers $66,940 Salinas, CA $61,413

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.

Monterey at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 29,772 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $104,110 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 54.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 109.0 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Monterey-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited instructional design schools are near Monterey, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering instructional design programs near Monterey. The closest is California State University-Monterey Bay in Seaside, CA (6.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Merritt College (84.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Monterey are: Training and Development Managers ($156,260), Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($125,460), Education Teachers, Postsecondary ($111,850). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Seaside instead of Monterey?

Seaside, CA is 4.0 miles from Monterey 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 Monterey an affordable place to study instructional design?

Monterey’s median household income of $104,110 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Monterey while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California 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 Monterey

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

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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