Best Instructional Design Schools Near Blacksburg, VA (2026)

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

Blacksburg, Virginia has 3 accredited schools offering instructional design programs. Blacksburg has a population of about 45,288. Median household income is $48,070 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 69.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Virginia, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Training and Development Managers at a median $137,520 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Instructional Design Schools to Blacksburg

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

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA 69.0 miles from Blacksburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,813
Avg net price $29,357/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 178

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA 119.0 miles from Blacksburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,954
Avg net price $23,322/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA 119.1 miles from Blacksburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,863
Avg net price $21,565/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 202.7 miles from Blacksburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,343
Avg net price $17,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 180

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Regent University

Virginia Beach, VA 235.4 miles from Blacksburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
34.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 38%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,498
Avg net price $19,923/yr
Tuition
In‑state$21,650
Out‑of‑state$21,650
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 88

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

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

Instructional Design Wages Near Blacksburg

Blacksburg is part of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area (BLS area code 13980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Instructional Coordinators $83,230 VA statewide $89,784
Training and Development Specialists $63,970 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA $69,008
Training and Development Managers $137,520 VA statewide $148,350
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $77,060 VA statewide $83,128
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other $66,710 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA $71,963
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $120,840 VA statewide $130,356
Farm and Home Management Educators $51,670 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA $55,739
Graphic Designers $53,310 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA $57,508

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.

Blacksburg at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 45,288 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $48,070 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 69.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Blacksburg-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited instructional design schools are near Blacksburg, VA?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering instructional design programs near Blacksburg. The closest is Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA (69.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Appalachian State University (98.6 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Blacksburg are: Training and Development Managers ($137,520), Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($120,840), Instructional Coordinators ($83,230). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Christiansburg instead of Blacksburg?

Christiansburg, VA is 6.3 miles from Blacksburg 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 Blacksburg an affordable place to study instructional design?

Blacksburg’s median household income of $48,070 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Blacksburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Blacksburg

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

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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