Best Instructional Design Schools Near Detroit, MI (2026)

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

Detroit, Michigan has 5 accredited schools offering instructional design programs. Detroit has a population of about 636,644. Median household income is $39,575 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Training and Development Managers at a median $123,280 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Instructional Design Schools to Detroit

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

Wayne State University

Detroit, MI 2.4 miles from Detroit
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,493
Avg net price $12,766/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 160

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Instructional Design Wages Near Detroit

Detroit is part of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area (BLS area code 19820). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Instructional Coordinators $82,130 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $81,884
Training and Development Specialists $67,530 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $67,328
Training and Development Managers $123,280 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $122,911
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $83,400 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $83,151
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other $49,300 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $49,153
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $105,980 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $105,663
Farm and Home Management Educators $65,030 MI statewide $64,835
Graphic Designers $60,210 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $60,030

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.

Detroit at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 636,644 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $39,575 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 17.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Detroit-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited instructional design schools are near Detroit, MI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering instructional design programs near Detroit. The closest is Wayne State University in Detroit, MI (2.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Michigan State University (73.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Detroit are: Training and Development Managers ($123,280), Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($105,980), Education Teachers, Postsecondary ($83,400). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Hamtramck instead of Detroit?

Hamtramck, MI is 2.5 miles from Detroit 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 Detroit an affordable place to study instructional design?

Detroit’s median household income of $39,575 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Detroit while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Detroit

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

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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