Best Instructional Design Schools Near Iowa City, IA (2026)

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

Iowa City, Iowa has 2 accredited schools offering instructional design programs, with tuition ranging from $9,936 to $22,278 per year for indexed programs. Iowa City has a population of about 75,264. Median household income is $57,533 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 60.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Iowa, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Training and Development Managers at a median $108,330 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Instructional Design Schools to Iowa City

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

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA 76.1 miles from Iowa City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
68.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,177
Avg net price $15,901/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,936
Out‑of‑state$21,712
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 116

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Iowa State University

Ames, IA 112.0 miles from Iowa City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,386
Avg net price $18,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 169

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Waldorf University

Forest City, IA 154.6 miles from Iowa City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
36.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 77%
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,165
Avg net price $19,693/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,978
Out‑of‑state$25,978
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 48%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, IA 200.3 miles from Iowa City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,156
Avg net price $18,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Instructional Design Wages Near Iowa City

Iowa City is part of the Iowa City, IA metro area (BLS area code 26980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Instructional Coordinators $67,400 Iowa City, IA $73,661
Training and Development Specialists $64,650 Iowa City, IA $70,656
Training and Development Managers $108,330 IA statewide $118,393
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $62,090 IA statewide $67,858
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other $57,560 Iowa City, IA $62,907
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $101,330 Iowa City, IA $110,743
Farm and Home Management Educators $48,200 IA statewide $52,678
Graphic Designers $49,350 Iowa City, IA $53,934

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.

Iowa City at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 75,264 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $57,533 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 60.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Iowa City-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited instructional design schools are near Iowa City, IA?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering instructional design programs near Iowa City. The closest is University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA (76.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Western Illinois University (93.1 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying instructional design roles near Iowa City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Iowa City are: Training and Development Managers ($108,330), Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($101,330), Instructional Coordinators ($67,400). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Coralville instead of Iowa City?

Coralville, IA is 4.5 miles from Iowa City 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 Iowa City an affordable place to study instructional design?

Iowa City’s median household income of $57,533 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Iowa City while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa 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 Iowa City

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

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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