Best Game Design Schools Near Colton, CA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Colton, California has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs, with tuition ranging from $1,156 to $49,922 per year for indexed programs. Colton has a population of about 53,798. Median household income is $69,581 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $176,320 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Colton

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer game design programs near Colton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Colton city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Colton. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA 32.6 miles from Colton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,677
Avg net price $22,212/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA 40.8 miles from Colton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
90.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,735
Avg net price $14,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,722
Out‑of‑state$49,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 134

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Biola University

La Mirada, CA 40.8 miles from Colton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,778
Avg net price $31,495/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Laguna College of Art and Design

Laguna Beach, CA 42.6 miles from Colton
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
38.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 94%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,867
Avg net price $42,505/yr
Tuition
In‑state$37,500
Out‑of‑state$37,500
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 54.9 miles from Colton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,498
Avg net price $32,740/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 267

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

New York Film Academy

Burbank, CA 58.2 miles from Colton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $29,633
Avg net price $39,011/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Woodbury University

Burbank, CA 59.1 miles from Colton
  • 4 year
48.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,668
Avg net price $33,692/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Gnomon

North Hollywood, CA 61.8 miles from Colton
  • 4 year
60.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $114,785
Avg net price $51,949/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California game design page.

Game Design Wages Near Colton

Colton is part of the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area (BLS area code 40140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $133,270 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $125,254
Special Effects Artists and Animators $95,420 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $89,680
Graphic Designers $65,900 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $61,936
Web and Digital Interface Designers $136,110 CA statewide $127,923
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $105,720 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $99,361
Writers and Authors $78,990 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $74,239
Computer Programmers $101,810 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $95,686
Computer and Information Systems Managers $176,320 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $165,714

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Colton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 53,798 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $69,581 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 16.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 106.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Colton-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Colton, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs near Colton. The closest is Norco College in Norco, CA (16.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Biola University (40.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying game design roles near Colton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Colton are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($176,320), Web and Digital Interface Designers ($136,110), Software Developers ($133,270). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Loma Linda instead of Colton?

Loma Linda, CA is 4.3 miles from Colton and has its own set of local game design programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Colton an affordable place to study game design?

Colton’s median household income of $69,581 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Colton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Game Design Programs

Other Programs Available in Colton

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Colton:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Game Design Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)