[Instructional Media Design](/majors/education/instructional-media-design/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment 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.
Leading the list is University Of Michigan Dearborn, our #1 best value for instructional media design in Michigan. Set in the city of Dearborn, University Of Michigan Dearborn is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,640, compared with $32,896 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for instructional media design graduates is $26,516. Soon after graduation, instructional media design degree recipients from University Of Michigan Dearborn generally make around $62,536. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 56% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earned it the #2 place for instructional media design. Set in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $18,848 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $63,081. Students borrow a median of $19,137 to complete the instructional media design program here. Soon after graduation, instructional media design degree recipients from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor generally make around $66,254. Set against $19,137 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor admits about 16% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Wayne State University earned it the #3 place for instructional media design. Set in the city of Detroit, Wayne State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,159, compared with $34,650 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,689 to complete the instructional media design program here. Early-career instructional media design graduates make about $56,855. Set against $26,689 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Wayne State University admits about 81% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Central Michigan University earned it the #4 place for instructional media design. Central Michigan University is a large public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant. In-state tuition and fees average $15,480. Typical student debt for instructional media design graduates is $27,857. Early-career instructional media design graduates make about $50,688. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Central Michigan University admits about 90% of applicants.
Michigan State University came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value instructional media design schools. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $18,079, while out-of-state students pay about $44,850. Typical student debt for instructional media design graduates is $25,213. Instructional Media Design graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of $58,981 early in their careers. Set against $25,213 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 85%.
More Instructional Media Design Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
