Best Instructional Design Schools Near Grand Junction, CO

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

Grand Junction, Colorado is home to about 67,027 residents. Median household income is $66,676 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Colorado, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Training and Development Managers at a median $139,980 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Instructional Design Schools to Grand Junction

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

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO 195.5 miles from Grand Junction
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,093
Avg net price $15,327/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 107

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Denver

Denver, CO 196.7 miles from Grand Junction
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,155
Avg net price $36,131/yr
Tuition
In‑state$61,398
Out‑of‑state$61,398
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 116

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Fort Collins, CO 211.6 miles from Grand Junction
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
69.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 89%
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,543
Avg net price $21,279/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,373
Out‑of‑state$34,783
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 144

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Northern Colorado

Greeley, CO 225.2 miles from Grand Junction
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,231
Avg net price $17,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Instructional Design Wages Near Grand Junction

Grand Junction is part of the Grand Junction, CO metro area (BLS area code 24300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Instructional Coordinators $65,290 Grand Junction, CO $68,366
Training and Development Specialists $60,780 Grand Junction, CO $63,644
Training and Development Managers $139,980 CO statewide $146,576
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $66,870 CO statewide $70,021
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other $81,730 Grand Junction, CO $85,581
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $118,440 CO statewide $124,021
Farm and Home Management Educators $66,230 CO statewide $69,351
Graphic Designers $51,540 Grand Junction, CO $53,969

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.

Grand Junction at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 67,027 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $66,676 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 36.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Grand Junction-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying instructional design roles near Grand Junction?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Grand Junction are: Training and Development Managers ($139,980), Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($118,440), Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other ($81,730). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Montrose instead of Grand Junction?

Montrose, CO is 57.3 miles from Grand Junction 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 Grand Junction an affordable place to study instructional design?

Grand Junction’s median household income of $66,676 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Grand Junction while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado 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 Grand Junction

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

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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