Best Instructional Design Schools Near Eau Claire, WI (2026)

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

Eau Claire, Wisconsin has 5 accredited schools offering instructional design programs, with tuition ranging from $25,600 to $37,239 per year for indexed programs. Eau Claire has a population of about 69,274. Median household income is $65,369 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Eau Claire, WI metro area, the top-earning instructional design-related role is Education Administrators, Postsecondary at a median $124,910 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Instructional Design Schools to Eau Claire

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

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Whitewater, WI 194.0 miles from Eau Claire
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,356
Avg net price $14,158/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Concordia University-Wisconsin

Mequon, WI 208.1 miles from Eau Claire
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
47.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,075
Avg net price $36,201/yr
Tuition
In‑state$35,470
Out‑of‑state$35,470
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 106

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Wisconsin Lutheran College

Milwaukee, WI 212.2 miles from Eau Claire
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,664
Avg net price $23,245/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Instructional Design Wages Near Eau Claire

Eau Claire is part of the Eau Claire, WI metro area (BLS area code 20740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Wisconsin statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Instructional Coordinators $79,710 Eau Claire, WI $85,894
Training and Development Specialists $62,180 Eau Claire, WI $67,004
Training and Development Managers $123,640 WI statewide $133,233
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $74,790 WI statewide $80,593
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other $61,940 WI statewide $66,746
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $124,910 Eau Claire, WI $134,601
Farm and Home Management Educators $60,920 WI statewide $65,647
Graphic Designers $56,230 Eau Claire, WI $60,593

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.

Eau Claire at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 69,274 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $65,369 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 35.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Eau Claire-Area Cities With Instructional Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited instructional design schools are near Eau Claire, WI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering instructional design programs near Eau Claire. The closest is Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in Winona, MN (54.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (85.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying instructional design roles near Eau Claire?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying instructional design-related roles near Eau Claire are: Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($124,910), Training and Development Managers ($123,640), Instructional Coordinators ($79,710). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Wisconsin statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Winona instead of Eau Claire?

Winona, MN is 53.8 miles from Eau Claire 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 Eau Claire an affordable place to study instructional design?

Eau Claire’s median household income of $65,369 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Eau Claire while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Wisconsin 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 Eau Claire

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

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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