Best Game Design Schools Near Sacramento, CA (2026)

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

Sacramento, California has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs, with tuition ranging from $1,288 to $15,767 per year for indexed programs. Sacramento has a population of about 524,802. Median household income is $83,753 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $165,270 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Sacramento

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

Sacramento City College

Sacramento, CA 2.2 miles from Sacramento
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
51.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,214
Avg net price $6,614/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,288
Out‑of‑state$12,616
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Game Design Wages Near Sacramento

Sacramento is part of the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area (BLS area code 40900). 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 $139,640 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $130,872
Special Effects Artists and Animators $122,880 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $115,164
Graphic Designers $74,680 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $69,991
Web and Digital Interface Designers $112,840 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $105,754
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $104,410 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $97,854
Writers and Authors $82,690 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $77,498
Computer Programmers $102,600 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $96,157
Computer and Information Systems Managers $165,270 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $154,892

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.

Sacramento at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 524,802 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $83,753 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 36.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 106.7 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Sacramento-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs near Sacramento. The closest is Sacramento City College in Sacramento, CA (2.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Academy of Art University (73.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Sacramento are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($165,270), Software Developers ($139,640), Special Effects Artists and Animators ($122,880). 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 West Sacramento instead of Sacramento?

West Sacramento, CA is 4.5 miles from Sacramento 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 Sacramento an affordable place to study game design?

Sacramento’s median household income of $83,753 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sacramento 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 Sacramento

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

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)