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Senior instructional systems designer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior instructional systems designer. Senior instructional systems designers usually study curriculum and instruction, educational technology, or education. 60% of senior instructional systems designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 267 real senior instructional systems designer resumes to see exactly what senior instructional systems designer education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior instructional systems designers are the University of Central Florida and the University of Central Florida.

There are also many online senior instructional systems designer courses to help get the education required to be a senior instructional systems designer.

What education do you need to become a senior instructional systems designer?

What degree do you need to be a senior instructional systems designer?

The most common degree for senior instructional systems designers is bachelor's degree, with 60% of senior instructional systems designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 23% and master's degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 60%
  • Master's, 23%
  • Associate, 14%
  • Doctorate, 3%

What should I major in to become a senior instructional systems designer?

You should major in curriculum and instruction to become a senior instructional systems designer. 11% of senior instructional systems designers major in curriculum and instruction. Other common majors for a senior instructional systems designer include educational technology and education.

Most common colleges for senior instructional systems designers

Senior instructional systems designers often get their degrees at University of Central Florida, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and Florida State University. Here are the most common colleges for senior instructional systems designers in the US based on their resumes.
Senior instructional systems designer common collegePercentages
University of Central Florida12.12%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale9.09%
Florida State University7.58%
George Mason University7.58%
University of Phoenix6.06%

Best majors for senior instructional systems designers

Best colleges for senior instructional systems designers

The best colleges for senior instructional systems designers are University of Rochester, Syracuse University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A senior instructional systems 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 senior instructional systems 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 senior instructional systems 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 senior instructional systems designers

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3. The complete Instructional Designer course

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Learn the skills to become an e Learning Instructional Designer for Corporate Learning and Development...

4. Instructional Design for Classroom Training

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Design effective and engaging in-person classroom training sessions and learning experiences from scratch...

5. Instructional Design for Corporate Learning and Development

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Giving you the tools to design and deliver on-point, effective corporate training programs...

6. Instructional Design Pro (Part 1): No Beginners Allowed!

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Write Golden Training Curriculum that's Easier to Learn and More Enjoyable to Teach...

7. Instructional Design Pro (Part 3): No Beginners Allowed!

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Write Golden Training Curriculum that's Easier to Learn and More Enjoyable to Teach...

8. Instructional Design Pro (Part 2): No Beginners Allowed!

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9. Rocking System Design

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10. Pragmatic System Design

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Insider tips for your system design interview from a former Amazon hiring manager – plus 6 mock interviews for practice!...

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15. System Design Interview Guide for Software Architecture

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Mastering High Level System Design Interview Software Architecture case studies Design patterns Microservices...

16. BMS - Building management system

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BMS, building management system & building automation systems study , design and calculations...

17. Software Architecture & Design of Modern Large Scale Systems

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18. Certificate Program In Management Information Systems

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19. Construction Site Electrical System Design

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Learn how to design a safe, flexible and durable electrical system for any construction site...

20. Electrical Low Voltage System Distribution Design

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Design of Power & Lighting Distribution System using Auto CAD, DIALux, & Low Voltage Calculations Using Excel Sheets...

Top 10 most affordable universities for senior instructional systems designers

The most affordable schools for senior instructional systems designers are Brigham Young University, queens college of the city university of new york, and florida state university.

If the best universities for senior instructional systems 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 senior instructional systems 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 senior instructional systems designers

The hardest universities for senior instructional systems designers to get into are University of Rochester, Syracuse University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for senior instructional systems 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 senior instructional systems 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 senior instructional systems designers

The easiest schools for senior instructional systems 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 senior instructional systems 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 senior instructional systems 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 senior instructional systems designer salary by education level

According to our data, senior instructional systems designers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $83,906 annually. Senior instructional systems designers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $81,102.
Senior instructional systems designer education levelSenior instructional systems designer salary
Master's Degree$81,102
Bachelor's Degree$73,009
Doctorate Degree$83,906

Senior instructional systems designer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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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