Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Instructional design technologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an instructional design technologist. Instructional design technologists usually study english, business, or educational technology. 62% of instructional design technologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 788 real instructional design technologist resumes to see exactly what instructional design technologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for instructional design technologists are the Eastern Michigan University and the Eastern Michigan University.
There are also many online instructional design technologist courses to help get the education required to be an instructional design technologist.
There are certain instructional design technologist certifications that you should consider. These instructional design technologist certifications include Certified Professional Technical Communicator - Expert (CPTC) and Certified Manager Certification (CM).
What education do you need to become an instructional design technologist?
What degree do you need to be an instructional design technologist?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 12%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an instructional design technologist?
- English, 11%
- Business, 10%
- Communication, 7%
- Other Majors, 62%
Most common colleges for instructional design technologists
| Instructional design technologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Eastern Michigan University | 7.78% |
| Utah State University | 7.78% |
| Arizona State University | 6.67% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 5.56% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.56% |
Best majors for instructional design technologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 11.5% |
| 2 | Business | 10.2% |
| 3 | Educational Technology | 9.9% |
| 4 | Communication | 7.5% |
| 5 | Computer Science | 6.4% |
Best colleges for instructional design technologists
The best colleges for instructional design technologists are University of Rochester, Syracuse University, and Johns Hopkins University.
An instructional design technologist 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 technologists. 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 technologists.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,530
Enrollment
4,571
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Enrollment
32,072
10. College of New Jersey, The
Ewing, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$16,551
Enrollment
6,886
20 best online courses for instructional design technologists
Advertising disclosure
1. Instructional Design for ELearning
Designing Successful ELearning Courses. Learn from a multi-award-winning instructional designer...
2. The complete Instructional Designer course
Learn the skills to become an e Learning Instructional Designer for Corporate Learning and Development...
3. Instructional Design for Classroom Training
Design effective and engaging in-person classroom training sessions and learning experiences from scratch...
4. Instructional Design for Corporate Learning and Development
Giving you the tools to design and deliver on-point, effective corporate training programs...
5. Instructional Design Pro (Part 2): No Beginners Allowed!
Write Golden Training Curriculum that's Easier to Learn and More Enjoyable to Teach...
6. Instructional Design Pro (Part 1): No Beginners Allowed!
Write Golden Training Curriculum that's Easier to Learn and More Enjoyable to Teach...
7. Instructional Design Pro (Part 3): No Beginners Allowed!
Write Golden Training Curriculum that's Easier to Learn and More Enjoyable to Teach...
8. User Experience Design Essentials - Adobe XD UI UX Design
Use XD to get a job in UI Design, User Interface, User Experience design, UX design & Web Design...
9. Adobe XD Masterclass: Learn Web Design UI & UX Design
Complete course for web design in Adobe XD! You'll look like a superstar designer, even if you're a beginner!...
10. Adobe XD Mega Course - User Experience Design
UI Design, User Interface, User Experience design, UX design & Web Design...
11. UI Design with Photoshop from Beginner to Expert in 15 days
Ultimate guide for Beginners to learn Photoshop & User Interface Design for Web Design & Mobile App Design in two week...
12. Learn Figma: User Interface Design Essentials - UI/UX Design
Master Figma app to get a job in UI Design, User Interface, User Experience design, Web Design & UX design...
13. Learn User Experience Design from A-Z: Adobe XD UI/UX Design
Learn how to become a professional UX/UI Designer and create beautiful websites and applications from scratch...
14. Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design
The Ultimate Graphic Design Course Which Covers Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design,Design Theory, Branding and Logo Design...
15. UI UX Design & Prototyping using Adobe XD
Learn Adobe XD for UI/UX Design, User Interface, User Experience Design & Adobe XD Prototyping...
16. User Experience Design & User Interface Design Fundamentals
Learn the basics of successful User Experience Design and User Interface Design...
17. Adobe Photoshop Mega Course-From Beginner to Super Designer
Adobe Photoshop CC 2021 - Master Photoshop Like a Pro Designer...
18. Mobile App Design in Photoshop From Scratch: Design Uber App
Learn Complete UI/UX design by Photoshop from Scratch and Design Uber app from Scratch...
19. Adobe Photoshop Graphic Design
Design 4 Beautiful eye catching Graphic Design Projects from Scratch with Adobe Photoshop Graphic Design Basics...
20. User Experience Design: Complete UX Fundamentals Course
Understand User Experience Design ( UX ) to begin designing web and mobile apps to keep your users engaged and happy...
Top 10 most affordable universities for instructional design technologists
The most affordable schools for instructional design technologists are Brigham Young University, queens college of the city university of new york, and florida state university.
If the best universities for instructional design technologists 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 technologists.
1. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
2. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
3. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
4. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Barranquitas
Barranquitas, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,902
Cost of attendance
13,479
5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce
Mercedita, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,914
Cost of attendance
13,564
6. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla
Aguadilla, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,902
Cost of attendance
13,284
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German
San German, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
14,322
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
10. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$9,233
Cost of attendance
18,110
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for instructional design technologists
The hardest universities for instructional design technologists to get into are University of Rochester, Syracuse University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for instructional design technologists 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 technologists 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 Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
2. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,250
7. Pepperdine University
Malibu, CA • Private
Admissions rate
36%
SAT average
1,330
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
Admissions rate
64%
SAT average
1,324
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for instructional design technologists
The easiest schools for instructional design technologists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, kean university, and ottawa university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an instructional design technologist 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 technologists.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
4. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
5. Saint Thomas University
Miami Gardens, FL • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
1,031
6. Saint Xavier University
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
74%
SAT average
1,061
7. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Winona, MN • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,148
8. Alabama State University
Montgomery, AL • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
972
9. Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, MA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,073
10. Waynesburg University
Waynesburg, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,080
Average instructional design technologist salary by education level
| Instructional design technologist education level | Instructional design technologist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $71,930 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $64,155 |
| Doctorate Degree | $74,640 |
Instructional design technologist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
Search for instructional design technologist jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025