Best Instructional Design Schools Near Waco, TX (2026)

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

Waco, Texas has 1 accredited school offering instructional design programs. Waco has a population of about 141,925. Median household income is $51,468 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Texas, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Education Administrators, Postsecondary at a median $104,390 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Instructional Design Schools to Waco

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer instructional design programs near Waco, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Waco 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 Waco. 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 A&M University-College Station

College Station, TX 82.3 miles from Waco
  • 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

#2

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, TX 113.3 miles from Waco
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
60.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 90%
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,211
Avg net price $16,404/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,228
Out‑of‑state$19,068
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 104

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

University of North Texas

Denton, TX 114.1 miles from Waco
  • 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

#4

Texas State University

San Marcos, TX 123.8 miles from Waco
  • 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

Sponsored Ad
#5

East Texas A&M University

Commerce, TX 138.3 miles from Waco
  • 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

#6

Lone Star College System

The Woodlands, TX 138.4 miles from Waco
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
42.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 20%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,466
Avg net price $11,252/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

The University of Texas at San Antonio

San Antonio, TX 160.9 miles from Waco
  • 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

#8

Houston Christian University

Houston, TX 162.8 miles from Waco
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,933
Avg net price $20,629/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 78

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 Waco

Waco is part of the Waco, TX metro area (BLS area code 47380). 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 $79,620 Waco, TX $86,076
Training and Development Specialists $64,040 Waco, TX $69,232
Training and Development Managers $99,120 Waco, TX $107,157
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $68,280 TX statewide $73,816
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other $50,720 Waco, TX $54,832
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $104,390 TX statewide $112,854
Farm and Home Management Educators $33,260 TX statewide $35,957
Graphic Designers $52,920 Waco, TX $57,211

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.

Waco at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 141,925 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $51,468 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 28.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Waco-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited instructional design schools are near Waco, TX?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering instructional design programs near Waco. The closest is Texas A&M University-College Station in College Station, TX (82.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Texas A&M University-College Station (82.3 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Waco are: Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($104,390), Training and Development Managers ($99,120), Instructional Coordinators ($79,620). 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 Temple instead of Waco?

Temple, TX is 33.4 miles from Waco 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 Waco an affordable place to study instructional design?

Waco’s median household income of $51,468 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Waco 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 Waco

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

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)