Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Lead instructional designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a lead instructional designer. Lead instructional designers usually study business, educational technology, or communication. 61% of lead instructional designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 774 real lead instructional designer resumes to see exactly what lead instructional designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for lead instructional designers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online lead instructional designer courses to help get the education required to be a lead instructional designer.
There are certain lead instructional designer certifications that you should consider. These lead instructional designer certifications include Certified Instructional Technologist (CIT) and Managed Healthcare Professional (MHP).
What education do you need to become a lead instructional designer?
What degree do you need to be a lead instructional designer?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 25%
- Associate, 8%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a lead instructional designer?
- Business, 13%
- Communication, 9%
- English, 8%
- Other Majors, 60%
Most common colleges for lead instructional designers
| Lead instructional designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 8.13% |
| Brigham Young University | 7.32% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.50% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.50% |
| Arizona State University | 5.69% |
Best majors for lead instructional designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 12.8% |
| 2 | Educational Technology | 10.5% |
| 3 | Communication | 8.7% |
| 4 | English | 8.4% |
| 5 | Education | 7.9% |
Best colleges for lead instructional designers
The best colleges for lead instructional designers are University of Rochester, Syracuse University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A lead instructional 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 lead instructional 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 lead instructional designers.
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 lead instructional designers
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 1): No Beginners Allowed!
Write Golden Training Curriculum that's Easier to Learn and More Enjoyable to Teach...
6. Instructional Design Pro (Part 3): No Beginners Allowed!
Write Golden Training Curriculum that's Easier to Learn and More Enjoyable to Teach...
7. Instructional Design Pro (Part 2): No Beginners Allowed!
Write Golden Training Curriculum that's Easier to Learn and More Enjoyable to Teach...
8. Train the Trainer Virtual: Virtual Training Master Class
Lead Effective Online, Virtual Training Sessions that Create Excitement, Motivation, Attention and Retention...
9. The Complete Train the Trainer Bootcamp - Beginners-Advanced
The Only Train the Trainer Course You Will Need: In-Person Training, Virtual Training, Beginner Intermediate & Advanced...
10. Train the Trainer 101: For Beginners Only!
Quickly go from trainee to trainer using The Rule the Room training method: How to Train Anything to Anyone...
11. The Complete Train the Trainer Bootcamp (Part 3): All Levels
The Complete Classroom Training Mastery Certification Program That Doubles Learning Retention In Half The Time...
12. The Complete Train the Trainer Bootcamp (Part 1): All Levels
The Complete Classroom Training Mastery Certification Program That Doubles Learning Retention In Half The Time...
13. Train the Trainer - PRACTICAL Training & Facilitation Skills
PRACTICAL Training & Facilitation Skills for Trainers, Facilitators and Facilitative Trainers...
14. The Complete Train the Trainer Bootcamp (Part 2): All Levels
The Complete Classroom Training Mastery Certification Program That Doubles Learning Retention In Half The Time...
15. Project Management Training
Project Management Certification Training with 4 Full Practice Tests...
16. Elearning 2023: Create & Sell Online Courses
Instructional design to create online courses or teach online on Thinkific Elearning. Create an online course & sell...
17. Train the Trainer Foundation: Adult Education Mastery Course
Deploy a repeatable system for employee learning to ensure you reach every learner…every time...
18. Management Skills Training for New & Experienced Managers
Management Skills Certification in Developing People, Leading Teams & Improving Processes in the Hybrid Work Culture...
19. Be A Better Manager 2 - Data Driven Management Training
Business Management Training - Be A Better Manager - learn how to use Data to improve your management skills...
20. Leadership: New Manager Training for Technical Professionals
Learn to establish yourself as a manager and lead your technical team to success. We are PDU Accredited...
Top 10 most affordable universities for lead instructional designers
The most affordable schools for lead instructional designers are Brigham Young University, queens college of the city university of new york, and florida state university.
If the best universities for lead instructional 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 lead instructional designers.
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 lead instructional designers
The hardest universities for lead instructional designers to get into are University of Rochester, Syracuse University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for lead instructional 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 lead instructional 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. 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 lead instructional designers
The easiest schools for lead instructional designers 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 a lead instructional 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 lead instructional designers.
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 lead instructional designer salary by education level
| Lead instructional designer education level | Lead instructional designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $71,106 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,777 |
| Doctorate Degree | $73,652 |
Lead instructional designer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
Search for lead instructional designer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025