E-learning designer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an e-learning designer. E-learning designers usually study drafting and design, graphic design, or business. 56% of e-learning designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 436 real e-learning designer resumes to see exactly what e-learning designer education sections show.

The most common colleges for e-learning designers are the Ohio State University and the Ohio State University.

There are also many online e-learning designer courses to help get the education required to be an e-learning designer.

What education do you need to become an e-learning designer?

What degree do you need to be an e-learning designer?

The most common degree for e-learning designers is bachelor's degree, with 56% of e-learning designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 23% and associate degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 56%

Associate, 23%

Master's, 13%

Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an e-learning designer?

You should major in drafting and design to become an e-learning designer. 16% of e-learning designers major in drafting and design. Other common majors for an e-learning designer include graphic design and business.

Drafting And Design, 16%

Graphic Design, 14%

Business, 10%

Fine Arts, 5%

Other Majors, 55%

Most common colleges for e-learning designers

E-learning designers often get their degrees at Ohio State University, University of Central Florida, and University of Houston. Here are the most common colleges for e-learning designers in the US based on their resumes.

E-learning designer common college	Percentages
Ohio State University	9.80%
University of Central Florida	7.84%
University of Houston	5.88%
The Art Institute of Colorado	5.88%
Western Washington University	5.88%

Show more common e-learning designer colleges

Best majors for e-learning designers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Drafting And Design	16.1%
2	Graphic Design	13.5%
3	Business	9.7%
4	Fine Arts	5.2%
5	Communication	5.2%

Show more common e-learning designer majors

Best colleges for e-learning designers

The best colleges for e-learning designers are Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

An e-learning designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for e-learning designers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become e-learning designers.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

2. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$47,646

Enrollment

2,924

3. Dunwoody College of Technology

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$22,046

Enrollment

1,294

4. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German

San German, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Enrollment

3,747

6. Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$42,345

Enrollment

12,886

7. Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$12,960

Enrollment

16,157

8. New York City College of Technology of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,120

Enrollment

16,204

9. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$11,788

Enrollment

11,008

10. Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,296

Enrollment

18,498

20 best online courses for e-learning designers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for e-learning designers

The most affordable schools for e-learning designers are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and queens college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for e-learning designers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for e-learning designers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

4. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Brigham Young University - Hawaii

Laie, HI • Private

In-state tuition

$5,560

Cost of attendance

18,043

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German

San German, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

14,322

10. Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,645

Cost of attendance

20,098

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for e-learning designers

The hardest universities for e-learning designers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for e-learning designers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for e-learning designers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,465

5. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

6. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

7. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,318

8. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

66%

SAT average

1,319

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for e-learning designers

The easiest schools for e-learning designers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, lim college, and curry college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an e-learning designer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for e-learning designers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

3. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

6. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Clarke University

Dubuque, IA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,058

Average e-learning designer salary by education level

E-learning designers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $74,757 annually. With a Master's degree, e-learning designers earn a median annual income of $72,149 compared to $64,645 for e-learning designers with an Bachelor's degree.

E-learning designer education level	E-learning designer salary
Master's Degree	$72,149
Bachelor's Degree	$64,645
Doctorate Degree	$74,757

E-learning designer education FAQs

What is the best college for E-Learning Designers?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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