[Instructional Media Design](/majors/education/instructional-media-design/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong instructional media design education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 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.
Suny Empire State College earned the #1 spot for value among instructional media design schools in New York. Suny Empire State College is a large public school located in the suburb of Saratoga Springs. In-state tuition and fees average $7,648, while out-of-state students pay about $17,558. Students borrow a median of $23,693 to complete the instructional media design program here. Instructional Media Design graduates of Suny Empire State College earn a median of $58,140 early in their careers. Set against $23,693 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes Suny College At Potsdam one of the best values for instructional media design. Suny College At Potsdam is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Potsdam. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,768, while out-of-state students pay about $18,678. Typical student debt for instructional media design graduates is $26,540. Early-career instructional media design graduates make about $32,485. Set against $26,540 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Suny At Albany came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value instructional media design schools. Located in the city of Albany, Suny At Albany is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,601, with out-of-state students paying around $30,991. Students borrow a median of $23,521 to complete the instructional media design program here. Instructional Media Design graduates of Suny At Albany earn a median of $44,736 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,521 median debt. Suny At Albany admits about 69% of applicants.
Suny College At Brockport came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value instructional media design schools. Set in the town of Brockport, Suny College At Brockport is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,752, with out-of-state students paying around $15,822. Typical student debt for instructional media design graduates is $24,757. Soon after graduation, instructional media design degree recipients from Suny College At Brockport generally make around $39,724. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Suny College At Brockport admits about 71% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in instructional media design will find it at Suny College At Oneonta, which ranked #5. Located in the town of Oneonta, Suny College At Oneonta is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $8,831 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $19,781. Students borrow a median of $22,046 to complete the instructional media design program here. Early-career instructional media design graduates make about $69,962. Set against $22,046 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
Molloy College earned the #6 position for value in instructional media design this year. Set in the suburb of Rockville Centre, Molloy College is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $39,790. Students borrow a median of $27,420 to complete the instructional media design program here. Instructional Media Design graduates of Molloy College earn a median of $65,544 early in their careers. Set against $27,420 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Rochester earned the #7 position for value in instructional media design this year. Located in the city of Rochester, University Of Rochester is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,080. Instructional Media Design graduates carry a median of $21,517 in student loans. Instructional Media Design graduates of University Of Rochester earn a median of $60,865 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,517 median debt. The acceptance rate is 40%.
Touro College placed #8 among the best values for instructional media design. Set in the city of New York, Touro College is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $20,052. Students borrow a median of $20,285 to complete the instructional media design program here. Early-career instructional media design graduates make about $60,520. That is a strong return on a $20,285 median debt. Roughly 61% of applicants are accepted.
New York University came in at #9 for value in instructional media design this year. Set in the city of New York, New York University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $62,796. Students borrow a median of $21,897 to complete the instructional media design program here. Soon after graduation, instructional media design degree recipients from New York University generally make around $64,516. That is a strong return on a $21,897 median debt. The acceptance rate is 9%.
Syracuse University landed the #10 spot for instructional media design value this year. Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Syracuse. In-state tuition and fees average $65,528. Typical student debt for instructional media design graduates is $26,130. Soon after graduation, instructional media design degree recipients from Syracuse University generally make around $54,785. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Syracuse University admits about 46% of applicants.
More Instructional Media Design Rankings
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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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.
