Best Instructional Design Schools Near Paducah, KY (2026)

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

Paducah, Kentucky has 1 accredited school offering instructional design programs. Paducah has a population of about 26,894. Median household income is $51,243 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Kentucky, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Education Administrators, Postsecondary at a median $114,310 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Instructional Design Schools to Paducah

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer instructional design programs near Paducah, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Paducah 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 Paducah. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY 120.8 miles from Paducah
  • 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

#2

Asbury University

Wilmore, KY 225.0 miles from Paducah
  • 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

Sponsored Ad
#3

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY 236.3 miles from Paducah
  • 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

#4

Eastern Kentucky University

Richmond, KY 242.8 miles from Paducah
  • 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

Sponsored Ad
#5

Morehead State University

Morehead, KY 295.3 miles from Paducah
  • 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

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

Instructional Design Wages Near Paducah

Paducah is part of the Paducah, KY-IL metro area (BLS area code 37140). 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 $63,640 KY statewide $73,914
Training and Development Specialists $65,260 Paducah, KY-IL $75,796
Training and Development Managers $112,750 KY statewide $130,952
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $61,450 KY statewide $71,370
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other $38,520 Paducah, KY-IL $44,739
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $114,310 KY statewide $132,764
Farm and Home Management Educators $61,190 KY statewide $71,069
Graphic Designers $52,960 KY statewide $61,510

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.

Paducah at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 26,894 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $51,243 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 28.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 86.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Paducah-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering instructional design programs near Paducah. The closest is Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in Carbondale, IL (54.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (54.5 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Paducah are: Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($114,310), Training and Development Managers ($112,750), Training and Development Specialists ($65,260). 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 Murray instead of Paducah?

Murray, KY is 36.2 miles from Paducah 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 Paducah an affordable place to study instructional design?

Paducah’s median household income of $51,243 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Paducah 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 Paducah

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

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)