Best Instructional Design Schools Near Ithaca, NY (2026)

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

Ithaca, New York has 5 accredited schools offering instructional design programs, with tuition ranging from $8,752 to $56,765 per year for indexed programs. Ithaca has a population of about 31,792. Median household income is $48,617 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In New York, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Training and Development Managers at a median $171,400 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Instructional Design Schools to Ithaca

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

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY 45.0 miles from Ithaca
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,164
Avg net price $38,793/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 186

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, NY 73.4 miles from Ithaca
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
69.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 70%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,386
Avg net price $19,158/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,831
Out‑of‑state$19,781
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Rochester

Rochester, NY 74.1 miles from Ithaca
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,042
Avg net price $29,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 149

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

SUNY Brockport

Brockport, NY 90.4 miles from Ithaca
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
62.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,496
Avg net price $16,353/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,752
Out‑of‑state$15,822
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY 122.3 miles from Ithaca
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,814
Avg net price $20,995/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,936
Out‑of‑state$31,536
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 193

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Canisius University

Buffalo, NY 123.9 miles from Ithaca
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,681
Avg net price $17,940/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University at Albany

Albany, NY 137.3 miles from Ithaca
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 69%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,979
Avg net price $17,167/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,866
Out‑of‑state$31,256
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Empire State University

Saratoga Springs, NY 144.8 miles from Ithaca
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,080
Avg net price $11,676/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Instructional Design Wages Near Ithaca

Ithaca is part of the Ithaca, NY metro area (BLS area code 27060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Instructional Coordinators $70,940 Ithaca, NY $68,674
Training and Development Specialists $66,690 Ithaca, NY $64,560
Training and Development Managers $171,400 NY statewide $165,924
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $92,870 Ithaca, NY $89,903
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other $52,000 NY statewide $50,339
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $132,470 Ithaca, NY $128,238
Farm and Home Management Educators $48,860 NY statewide $47,299
Graphic Designers $61,250 Ithaca, NY $59,293

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.

Ithaca at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 31,792 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $48,617 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 70.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Ithaca-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited instructional design schools are near Ithaca, NY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering instructional design programs near Ithaca. The closest is Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY (45.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is SUNY Brockport (90.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Ithaca are: Training and Development Managers ($171,400), Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($132,470), Education Teachers, Postsecondary ($92,870). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Cortland instead of Ithaca?

Cortland, NY is 19.7 miles from Ithaca 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 Ithaca an affordable place to study instructional design?

Ithaca’s median household income of $48,617 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ithaca while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Ithaca

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

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 New York (2026)