Best Game Design Schools Near Palo Alto, CA (2026)

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

Palo Alto, California has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs, with tuition ranging from $16,005 to $50,205 per year for indexed programs. Palo Alto has a population of about 67,231. Median household income is $220,408 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 82.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $291,660 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Palo Alto

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer game design programs near Palo Alto, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto. 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

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 2.3 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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

#2

University of Silicon Valley

San Jose, CA 11.4 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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

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#3

University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA 27.8 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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

#4

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, CA 29.4 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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

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#5

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA 30.7 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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

#6

California State University-Chico

Chico, CA 162.4 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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

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#7

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA 282.8 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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 305.6 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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 Palo Alto

Palo Alto is part of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area (BLS area code 41940). 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 $213,110 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $193,034
Special Effects Artists and Animators $156,950 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $142,165
Graphic Designers $97,360 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $88,188
Web and Digital Interface Designers $201,260 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $182,301
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $166,530 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $150,842
Writers and Authors $118,810 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $107,618
Computer Programmers $154,920 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $140,326
Computer and Information Systems Managers $291,660 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $264,185

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.

Palo Alto at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 67,231 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $220,408 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 82.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 110.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Palo Alto-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Palo Alto, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs near Palo Alto. The closest is Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, CA (2.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Academy of Art University (30.7 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying game design roles near Palo Alto?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Palo Alto are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($291,660), Software Developers ($213,110), Web and Digital Interface Designers ($201,260). 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 Los Altos instead of Palo Alto?

Los Altos, CA is 3.2 miles from Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto an affordable place to study game design?

Palo Alto’s median household income of $220,408 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto

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

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)