Best Instructional Design Schools Near Suffolk, VA (2026)

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

Suffolk, Virginia has 2 accredited schools offering instructional design programs, with tuition ranging from $21,650 to $32,838 per year for indexed programs. Suffolk has a population of about 96,638. Median household income is $90,089 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Training and Development Managers at a median $127,350 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Instructional Design Schools to Suffolk

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

Regent University

Virginia Beach, VA 25.7 miles from Suffolk
  • 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

#2

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA 138.0 miles from Suffolk
  • 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

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#3

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA 147.4 miles from Suffolk
  • 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

#4

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 152.1 miles from Suffolk
  • 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

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA 171.4 miles from Suffolk
  • 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

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

Instructional Design Wages Near Suffolk

Suffolk is part of the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area (BLS area code 47260). 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 $85,300 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $87,130
Training and Development Specialists $74,470 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $76,067
Training and Development Managers $127,350 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $130,082
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $78,970 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $80,664
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other $50,730 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $51,818
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $101,500 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $103,677
Farm and Home Management Educators $77,870 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $79,540
Graphic Designers $60,150 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $61,440

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.

Suffolk at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 96,638 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $90,089 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 32.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Suffolk-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering instructional design programs near Suffolk. The closest is Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA (25.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is East Carolina University (85.5 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Suffolk are: Training and Development Managers ($127,350), Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($101,500), Instructional Coordinators ($85,300). 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 Chesapeake instead of Suffolk?

Chesapeake, VA is 18.7 miles from Suffolk 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 Suffolk an affordable place to study instructional design?

Suffolk’s median household income of $90,089 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Suffolk 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 Suffolk

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

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 Virginia (2026)