[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.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 8 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.
For return on investment in instructional media design, no school beat University Of North Carolina At Greensboro this year. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a very large public school located in the city of Greensboro. Students from in state pay about $7,661 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $24,012. Students borrow a median of $24,977 to complete the instructional media design program here. Instructional Media Design graduates of University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earn a median of $42,595 early in their careers. Set against $24,977 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in instructional media design will find it at University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, which ranked #2. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the city of Chapel Hill. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,994, with out-of-state students paying around $41,203. Instructional Media Design graduates carry a median of $15,117 in student loans. Instructional Media Design graduates of University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn a median of $61,361 early in their careers. Set against $15,117 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill admits about 15% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earned it the #3 place for instructional media design. University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public school located in the city of Charlotte. In-state tuition and fees average $7,239, compared with $22,492 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for instructional media design graduates is $24,673. Instructional Media Design graduates of University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earn a median of $64,530 early in their careers. Set against $24,673 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of North Carolina At Charlotte admits about 80% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in instructional media design will find it at East Carolina University, which ranked #4. East Carolina University is a very large public school located in the city of Greenville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,361, compared with $23,638 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for instructional media design graduates is $24,747. Instructional Media Design graduates of East Carolina University earn a median of $58,529 early in their careers. Set against $24,747 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. East Carolina University admits about 89% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Appalachian State University earned it the #5 place for instructional media design. Appalachian State University is a very large public school located in the town of Boone. In-state tuition and fees average $7,579, compared with $25,212 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,992 to complete the instructional media design program here. Early-career instructional media design graduates make about $42,340. Set against $21,992 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh placed #6 among the best values for instructional media design. North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public school located in the city of Raleigh. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,799, while out-of-state students pay about $32,847. Instructional Media Design graduates carry a median of $22,113 in student loans. Early-career instructional media design graduates make about $60,244. Set against $22,113 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
Gardner Webb University landed the #7 spot for instructional media design value this year. Gardner Webb University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Boiling Springs. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $34,750. Students borrow a median of $25,033 to complete the instructional media design program here. Soon after graduation, instructional media design degree recipients from Gardner Webb University generally make around $52,313. That is a strong return on a $25,033 median debt. Gardner Webb University admits about 77% of applicants.
University Of North Carolina At Wilmington ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value instructional media design schools. Set in the city of Wilmington, University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,277 in tuition and fees, compared with $24,152 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,013 to complete the instructional media design program here. Soon after graduation, instructional media design degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Wilmington generally make around $46,164. That is a strong return on a $23,013 median debt. Roughly 64% of applicants are accepted.
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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.
