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Instructional design manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an instructional design manager. Instructional design managers usually study business, educational technology, or education. 66% of instructional design managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 832 real instructional design manager resumes to see exactly what instructional design manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for instructional design managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online instructional design manager courses to help get the education required to be an instructional design manager.
There are certain instructional design manager certifications that you should consider. These instructional design manager certifications include Certified Instructional Technologist (CIT) and Master Project Manager (MPM).
What education do you need to become an instructional design manager?
What degree do you need to be an instructional design manager?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become an instructional design manager?
- Business, 17%
- Education, 9%
- Communication, 9%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for instructional design managers
| Instructional design manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 10.87% |
| Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania | 8.70% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 6.52% |
| Texas A&M University | 6.52% |
| DePaul University | 5.80% |
Best majors for instructional design managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 16.6% |
| 2 | Educational Technology | 10.0% |
| 3 | Education | 9.1% |
| 4 | Communication | 8.9% |
| 5 | English | 8.4% |
Best colleges for instructional design managers
The best colleges for instructional design managers are University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and New York University.
An instructional design manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for instructional design managers. 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 instructional design managers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
8. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
10. University of Maryland - Baltimore County
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$11,778
Enrollment
11,156
20 best online courses for instructional design managers
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10. Project Management: Simple Software Project Management
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11. Technical Program Management
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14. Certificate Program In Management Information Systems
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17. Project Management - Complete Guide For A+ Project Managers
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19. Program Management Interview Course
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20. Product Design Management for Agile Practitioners
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Top 10 most affordable universities for instructional design managers
The most affordable schools for instructional design managers are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and university of houston - victoria.
If the best universities for instructional design managers 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 instructional design managers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for instructional design managers
The hardest universities for instructional design managers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and New York University.
Some great schools for instructional design managers 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 instructional design managers 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for instructional design managers
The easiest schools for instructional design managers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, d'youville college, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an instructional design manager 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 instructional design managers.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
Average instructional design manager salary by education level
| Instructional design manager education level | Instructional design manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $73,624 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $66,291 |
| Doctorate Degree | $75,795 |
Instructional design manager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025