by our College Data Analytics Team
[Instructional Media Design](/majors/education/instructional-media-design/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the early-career earnings of their instructional media design graduates.
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Below are the schools whose instructional media design graduates go on to earn the most.
For graduate earnings in instructional media design, no school beat Concordia University Chicago this year. Set in the suburb of River Forest, Concordia University Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. Instructional Media Design graduates of Concordia University Chicago earn a median of about $81,395 a year early in their careers.
Northern Illinois University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in instructional media design, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Dekalb, Northern Illinois University is a public institution. Students who complete the instructional media design program here go on to a median salary of roughly $75,761.
Students chasing top earnings in instructional media design will find them at Aurora University, which ranked #3. Aurora University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Aurora. After graduating, instructional media design degree recipients from Aurora University typically earn about $63,501 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in instructional media design will find them at Western Illinois University, which ranked #4. Set in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a public institution. Students who complete the instructional media design program here go on to a median salary of roughly $62,091.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their instructional media design graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 4 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.