Best Instructional Design Schools Near Chattanooga, TN (2026)

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

Chattanooga, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering instructional design programs. Chattanooga has a population of about 182,832. Median household income is $61,028 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Training and Development Managers at a median $110,710 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Instructional Design Schools to Chattanooga

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

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, TN 78.0 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,501
Avg net price $14,246/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

South College

Knoxville, TN 94.6 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,642
Avg net price $17,858/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN 96.4 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,249
Avg net price $18,976/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 143

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Johnson University

Knoxville, TN 103.6 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,596
Avg net price $22,063/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, TN 112.6 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,378
Avg net price $16,813/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Tennessee State University

Nashville, TN 116.8 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
34.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,730
Avg net price $15,796/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 52%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, TN 182.9 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,859
Avg net price $15,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 97

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN 265.1 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,458
Avg net price $12,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Instructional Design Wages Near Chattanooga

Chattanooga is part of the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area (BLS area code 16860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Instructional Coordinators $65,170 Chattanooga, TN-GA $71,224
Training and Development Specialists $64,740 Chattanooga, TN-GA $70,754
Training and Development Managers $110,710 Chattanooga, TN-GA $120,995
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $103,790 Chattanooga, TN-GA $113,432
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other $46,150 Chattanooga, TN-GA $50,437
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $102,160 Chattanooga, TN-GA $111,650
Farm and Home Management Educators N/A TN statewide –
Graphic Designers $55,250 Chattanooga, TN-GA $60,383

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.

Chattanooga at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 182,832 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $61,028 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 35.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Chattanooga-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited instructional design schools are near Chattanooga, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering instructional design programs near Chattanooga. The closest is Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN (78.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is South College (94.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Chattanooga are: Training and Development Managers ($110,710), Education Teachers, Postsecondary ($103,790), Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($102,160). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in East Ridge instead of Chattanooga?

East Ridge, TN is 4.9 miles from Chattanooga 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 Chattanooga an affordable place to study instructional design?

Chattanooga’s median household income of $61,028 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chattanooga while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee 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 Chattanooga

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

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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