Best Instructional Design Schools Near Abilene, TX (2026)

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

Abilene, Texas is home to about 127,130 residents. Median household income is $62,720 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Abilene, TX metro area, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Training and Development Managers at a median $107,280 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Instructional Design Schools to Abilene

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

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX 146.3 miles from Abilene
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,454
Avg net price $19,070/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 168

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of North Texas

Denton, TX 159.2 miles from Abilene
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,010
Avg net price $15,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 138

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Texas State University

San Marcos, TX 206.6 miles from Abilene
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,906
Avg net price $16,805/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 132

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

The University of Texas at San Antonio

San Antonio, TX 209.1 miles from Abilene
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,131
Avg net price $10,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 120

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

West Texas A & M University

Canyon, TX 214.8 miles from Abilene
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,741
Avg net price $19,487/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

East Texas A&M University

Commerce, TX 229.1 miles from Abilene
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,296
Avg net price $11,841/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Texas A&M University-College Station

College Station, TX 237.1 miles from Abilene
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,097
Avg net price $21,315/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 233

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Sul Ross State University

Alpine, TX 272.2 miles from Abilene
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,871
Avg net price $13,286/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 52%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Instructional Design Wages Near Abilene

Abilene is part of the Abilene, TX metro area (BLS area code 10180). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Instructional Coordinators $67,160 Abilene, TX $74,292
Training and Development Specialists $53,540 Abilene, TX $59,226
Training and Development Managers $107,280 Abilene, TX $118,673
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $50,440 Abilene, TX $55,796
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other $49,300 Abilene, TX $54,535
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $91,860 Abilene, TX $101,615
Farm and Home Management Educators $33,260 TX statewide $36,792
Graphic Designers $49,360 Abilene, TX $54,602

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.

Abilene at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 127,130 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $62,720 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 90.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Abilene-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Abilene are: Training and Development Managers ($107,280), Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($91,860), Instructional Coordinators ($67,160). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Brownwood instead of Abilene?

Brownwood, TX is 67.9 miles from Abilene 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 Abilene an affordable place to study instructional design?

Abilene’s median household income of $62,720 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Abilene while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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 Abilene

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

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 Texas (2026)