Best Game Design Schools Near Napa, CA (2026)

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

Napa, California has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs. Napa has a population of about 78,816. Median household income is $102,231 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Napa, CA metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $191,490 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Napa

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer game design programs near Napa, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Napa 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 Napa. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Sort:
#1

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA 35.7 miles from Napa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
20.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,008
Avg net price $40,613/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, CA 37.1 miles from Napa
  • 4 year
46.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,414
Avg net price $53,909/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

University of Silicon Valley

San Jose, CA 64.2 miles from Napa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,017
Avg net price $27,815/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 65.4 miles from Napa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,072
Avg net price $7,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA 91.0 miles from Napa
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
71.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 66%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,396
Avg net price $17,890/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,005
Out‑of‑state$50,205
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 81

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

#6

California State University-Chico

Chico, CA 101.9 miles from Napa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,172
Avg net price $14,480/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,472
Out‑of‑state$21,072
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 74

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

Sponsored Ad
#7

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA 336.9 miles from Napa
  • 4 year
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,044
Avg net price $-2,296/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Gnomon

North Hollywood, CA 358.1 miles from Napa
  • 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

Sponsored Ad

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

Game Design Wages Near Napa

Napa is part of the Napa, CA metro area (BLS area code 34900). 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 $153,130 Napa, CA $135,995
Special Effects Artists and Animators $130,540 CA statewide $115,933
Graphic Designers $79,090 Napa, CA $70,240
Web and Digital Interface Designers $136,110 CA statewide $120,879
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $128,740 CA statewide $114,334
Writers and Authors $86,480 CA statewide $76,803
Computer Programmers $116,760 CA statewide $103,694
Computer and Information Systems Managers $191,490 Napa, CA $170,062

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.

Napa at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 78,816 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $102,231 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 36.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 112.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Napa-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs near Napa. The closest is Santa Rosa Junior College in Santa Rosa, CA (25.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California College of the Arts (37.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Napa are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($191,490), Software Developers ($153,130), Web and Digital Interface Designers ($136,110). 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 American Canyon instead of Napa?

American Canyon, CA is 8.5 miles from Napa 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 Napa an affordable place to study game design?

Napa’s median household income of $102,231 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Napa 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 Napa

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

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)