Best Instructional Design Schools Near Covington, KY (2026)

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

Covington, Kentucky has 5 accredited schools offering instructional design programs, with tuition ranging from $13,502 to $41,221 per year for indexed programs. Covington has a population of about 40,902. Median household income is $58,814 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Training and Development Managers at a median $130,150 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Instructional Design Schools to Covington

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

Lexington, KY 68.7 miles from Covington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,025
Avg net price $18,851/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,502
Out‑of‑state$34,140
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 217

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Asbury University

Wilmore, KY 81.3 miles from Covington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,368
Avg net price $21,401/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Morehead State University

Morehead, KY 82.7 miles from Covington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,197
Avg net price $9,793/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Eastern Kentucky University

Richmond, KY 90.1 miles from Covington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
52.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,795
Avg net price $11,040/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,320
Out‑of‑state$21,230
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY 176.6 miles from Covington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,889
Avg net price $10,990/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 152

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Instructional Design Wages Near Covington

Covington is part of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (BLS area code 17140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kentucky statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Instructional Coordinators $78,680 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $82,474
Training and Development Specialists $68,390 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $71,688
Training and Development Managers $130,150 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $136,426
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $61,450 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $64,413
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other $48,990 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $51,352
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $103,150 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $108,124
Farm and Home Management Educators $61,190 KY statewide $64,140
Graphic Designers $62,260 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $65,262

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.

Covington at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 40,902 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $58,814 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 32.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Covington-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited instructional design schools are near Covington, KY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering instructional design programs near Covington. The closest is University of Cincinnati-Main Campus in Cincinnati, OH (6.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Kentucky (68.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Covington are: Training and Development Managers ($130,150), Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($103,150), Instructional Coordinators ($78,680). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kentucky statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Independence instead of Covington?

Independence, KY is 5.9 miles from Covington 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 Covington an affordable place to study instructional design?

Covington’s median household income of $58,814 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Covington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kentucky 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 Covington

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

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 Kentucky (2026)