Best Instructional Design Schools Near Akron, OH (2026)

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

Akron, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering instructional design programs. Akron has a population of about 189,526. Median household income is $48,544 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Akron, OH metro area, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Training and Development Managers at a median $122,260 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Instructional Design Schools to Akron

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

Kent State University at Kent

Kent, OH 10.4 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,388
Avg net price $20,787/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 181

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Baldwin Wallace University

Berea, OH 26.5 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,122
Avg net price $27,603/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH 30.2 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,131
Avg net price $14,764/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 123

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

Bowling Green, OH 112.0 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,896
Avg net price $24,022/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 139

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Toledo

Toledo, OH 115.7 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,632
Avg net price $17,249/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 155

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Ohio University-Main Campus

Athens, OH 124.9 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,581
Avg net price $21,637/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 217

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Wright State University-Main Campus

Dayton, OH 161.1 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,500
Avg net price $15,415/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Dayton

Dayton, OH 167.6 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,537
Avg net price $29,533/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 114

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Instructional Design Wages Near Akron

Akron is part of the Akron, OH metro area (BLS area code 10420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Instructional Coordinators $71,660 Akron, OH $76,724
Training and Development Specialists $64,550 Akron, OH $69,111
Training and Development Managers $122,260 Akron, OH $130,899
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $63,390 Akron, OH $67,869
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other $38,550 Akron, OH $41,274
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $93,970 Akron, OH $100,610
Farm and Home Management Educators N/A OH statewide –
Graphic Designers $58,460 Akron, OH $62,591

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.

Akron at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 189,526 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $48,544 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 23.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Akron-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited instructional design schools are near Akron, OH?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering instructional design programs near Akron. The closest is Kent State University at Kent in Kent, OH (10.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Point Park University (91.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Akron are: Training and Development Managers ($122,260), Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($93,970), Instructional Coordinators ($71,660). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Cuyahoga Falls instead of Akron?

Cuyahoga Falls, OH is 5.8 miles from Akron 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 Akron an affordable place to study instructional design?

Akron’s median household income of $48,544 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Akron while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Akron

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

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 Ohio (2026)