[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 4 schools to find the best return on investment for instructional media design students.
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Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in instructional media design, balancing cost against outcomes.
Our analysis ranked Essex County College the best value for a degree in instructional media design in New Jersey. Essex County College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Newark. Students from in state pay about $5,415 in tuition and fees, compared with $9,523 for out-of-state students. Instructional Media Design graduates carry a median of $12,472 in student loans. Soon after graduation, instructional media design degree recipients from Essex County College generally make around $37,915. Set against $12,472 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in instructional media design will find it at New Jersey City University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Jersey City, New Jersey City University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,460. Instructional Media Design graduates carry a median of $22,107 in student loans. Early-career instructional media design graduates make about $70,914. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. New Jersey City University admits about 98% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes The Richard Stockton College Of New Jersey one of the best values for instructional media design. Set in the rural area of Galloway, The Richard Stockton College Of New Jersey is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $16,266, compared with $24,524 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for instructional media design graduates is $24,990. Soon after graduation, instructional media design degree recipients from The Richard Stockton College Of New Jersey generally make around $62,499. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in instructional media design will find it at Rowan University, which ranked #4. Rowan University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Glassboro. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,574, with out-of-state students paying around $26,932. Students borrow a median of $24,488 to complete the instructional media design program here. Soon after graduation, instructional media design degree recipients from Rowan University generally make around $52,031. Set against $24,488 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
