[Instructional Media Design](/majors/education/instructional-media-design/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong instructional media design education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for instructional media design students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the instructional media design degrees they offer, see the list below.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earned the #1 spot for value among instructional media design schools in Michigan. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,848, with out-of-state students paying around $63,081. Instructional Media Design graduates carry a median of $19,137 in student loans. Soon after graduation, instructional media design degree recipients from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor generally make around $66,254. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 16%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Wayne State University earned it the #2 place for instructional media design. Located in the city of Detroit, Wayne State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $16,159 in tuition and fees, compared with $34,650 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for instructional media design graduates is $26,689. Instructional Media Design graduates of Wayne State University earn a median of $56,855 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Wayne State University admits about 81% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in instructional media design will find it at Central Michigan University, which ranked #3. Central Michigan University is a large public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,480. Students borrow a median of $27,857 to complete the instructional media design program here. Early-career instructional media design graduates make about $50,688. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Michigan State University earned it the #4 place for instructional media design. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $18,079 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $44,850. Instructional Media Design graduates carry a median of $25,213 in student loans. Early-career instructional media design graduates make about $58,981. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Michigan State University admits about 85% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
