Zion, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering instructional design programs. Zion has a population of about 24,466. Median household income is $62,574 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Training and Development Managers at a median $133,800 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Instructional Design Schools to Zion
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer instructional design programs near Zion, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Zion 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Zion.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,530
Avg net price
$36,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 168
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$60,327
Avg net price
$11,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 63
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,089
Avg net price
$18,436/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 61%
- Programs offered: 70
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,709
Avg net price
$18,838/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 44
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$57,808
Avg net price
$13,391/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 92
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,169
Avg net price
$12,329/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 58%
- Programs offered: 54
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,163
Avg net price
$12,937/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 60%
- Programs offered: 83
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,346
Avg net price
$14,889/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 70
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois instructional design page.
Instructional Design Wages Near Zion
Zion is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.
| Occupation |
Median Wage |
Source |
COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
| Instructional Coordinators |
$77,900 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$75,193 |
| Training and Development Specialists |
$67,050 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$64,720 |
| Training and Development Managers |
$133,800 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$129,151 |
| Education Teachers, Postsecondary |
$61,350 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$59,218 |
| Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other |
$46,390 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$44,778 |
| Education Administrators, Postsecondary |
$101,070 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$97,558 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators |
N/A |
IL statewide |
– |
| Graphic Designers |
$66,490 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$64,180 |
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.
Zion at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
24,466 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$62,574 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
16.1% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
103.6 (above U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Zion-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs
- Pleasant Prairie, WI – 5.0 mi away (20,734 pop)
- Waukegan, IL – 6.3 mi away (88,182 pop)
- Gurnee, IL – 7.6 mi away (30,957 pop)
- Kenosha, WI – 8.8 mi away (124,580 pop)
- North Chicago, IL – 9.9 mi away (29,951 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited instructional design schools are near Zion, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering instructional design programs near Zion. The closest is Loyola University Chicago in Chicago, IL (33.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (52.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying instructional design roles near Zion?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Zion are: Training and Development Managers ($133,800), Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($101,070), Instructional Coordinators ($77,900). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Pleasant Prairie instead of Zion?
Pleasant Prairie, WI is 5.0 miles from Zion 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 Zion an affordable place to study instructional design?
Zion’s median household income of $62,574 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Zion while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Zion
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Zion:
- History programs in Zion, IL
- English programs in Zion, IL
- Sociology programs in Zion, IL
- Anthropology programs in Zion, IL
- Political Science programs in Zion, IL
- Philosophy programs in Zion, IL
- Mathematics programs in Zion, IL
- General Studies programs in Zion, IL
- Forensic Psychology programs in Zion, IL
- Child Development programs in Zion, IL
- Data Science programs in Zion, IL
- Electrical Engineering programs in Zion, IL
- Software Engineering programs in Zion, IL
- Engineering Management programs in Zion, IL
- Geography programs in Zion, IL
- Aviation Management programs in Zion, IL
- Public Policy programs in Zion, IL
- International Relations programs in Zion, IL
- Chemistry programs in Zion, IL
- Physics programs in Zion, IL
- Neuroscience programs in Zion, IL
- Spanish programs in Zion, IL
- Film programs in Zion, IL
- Fashion programs in Zion, IL
- Architecture programs in Zion, IL
- Urban Planning programs in Zion, IL
- Industrial Design programs in Zion, IL
- Game Design programs in Zion, IL
- Higher Education Administration programs in Zion, IL
- Global Health programs in Zion, IL
- Art History programs in Zion, IL
- Creative Writing programs in Zion, IL
- Environmental Science programs in Zion, IL
- Nutrition programs in Zion, IL
- Theology programs in Zion, IL
- Library Science programs in Zion, IL
- Applied Behavior Analysis programs in Zion, IL
- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Zion, IL
- Medical Assistant programs in Zion, IL
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Zion, IL
- Health Science programs in Zion, IL
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Zion, IL
- Entrepreneurship programs in Zion, IL
- Interior Design programs in Zion, IL
- Photography programs in Zion, IL
- Sustainability Management programs in Zion, IL
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Zion, IL
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Zion, IL
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Zion, IL
- Journalism programs in Zion, IL
- Public Relations programs in Zion, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in Zion, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in Zion, IL
- Technical Communication programs in Zion, IL
- Professional Writing programs in Zion, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in Zion, IL
- Business Development programs in Zion, IL
- Construction Management programs in Zion, IL
- Economics programs in Zion, IL
- Financial Technology programs in Zion, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Zion, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Zion, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Zion, IL
- International Business programs in Zion, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Zion, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Zion, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Zion, IL
- Operations Management programs in Zion, IL
- Public Administration programs in Zion, IL
- Real Estate programs in Zion, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Zion, IL
- Retail Management programs in Zion, IL
- Risk Management programs in Zion, IL
- Statistics programs in Zion, IL
- Taxation programs in Zion, IL
- Corrections programs in Zion, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Zion, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Zion, IL
- Criminology programs in Zion, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Zion, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Zion, IL
- Fire Science programs in Zion, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Zion, IL
- Legal Services programs in Zion, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Zion, IL
- Paralegal programs in Zion, IL
- Security Management programs in Zion, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Zion, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Zion, IL
- Innovation programs in Zion, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Zion, IL
- Software Development programs in Zion, IL
- User Experience programs in Zion, IL
- Web Development programs in Zion, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Zion, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Zion, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Zion, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Zion, IL
- Public Health programs in Zion, IL
- Human Resources programs in Zion, IL
- Project Management programs in Zion, IL
- Special Education programs in Zion, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Zion, IL
- Marketing programs in Zion, IL
- Finance programs in Zion, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Zion, IL
- Sports Management programs in Zion, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Zion, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Zion, IL
- Biology programs in Zion, IL
- Communications programs in Zion, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Zion, IL
- Human Services programs in Zion, IL
- MBA programs in Zion, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Zion, IL
- Nursing programs in Zion, IL
- Business Administration programs in Zion, IL
- Computer Science programs in Zion, IL
- Psychology programs in Zion, IL
- Education programs in Zion, IL
- Engineering programs in Zion, IL
- Technology programs in Zion, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Zion, IL
- Healthcare programs in Zion, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Zion, IL
- Accounting programs in Zion, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Zion, IL
- Social Work programs in Zion, IL
- Counseling programs in Zion, IL
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 Illinois (2026)
