Best Game Design Schools Near Santa Paula, CA (2026)

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

Santa Paula, California has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs. Santa Paula has a population of about 31,202. Median household income is $77,130 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 14.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $218,290 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Santa Paula

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

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA 13.9 miles from Santa Paula
  • 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

#2

Gnomon

North Hollywood, CA 40.3 miles from Santa Paula
  • 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
#3

Woodbury University

Burbank, CA 42.8 miles from Santa Paula
  • 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

#4

New York Film Academy

Burbank, CA 44.2 miles from Santa Paula
  • 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

Sponsored Ad
#5

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 50.4 miles from Santa Paula
  • 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

Biola University

La Mirada, CA 67.8 miles from Santa Paula
  • 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

Sponsored Ad
#7

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA 69.2 miles from Santa Paula
  • 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

#8

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA 85.5 miles from Santa Paula
  • 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

Sponsored Ad

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

Game Design Wages Near Santa Paula

Santa Paula is part of the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA metro area (BLS area code 37100). 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 $159,430 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $144,281
Special Effects Artists and Animators $130,540 CA statewide $118,136
Graphic Designers $67,300 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $60,905
Web and Digital Interface Designers $136,110 CA statewide $123,176
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $113,680 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $102,878
Writers and Authors $82,920 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $75,041
Computer Programmers $84,250 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $76,244
Computer and Information Systems Managers $218,290 CA statewide $197,548

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.

Santa Paula at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 31,202 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $77,130 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 14.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 110.5 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Santa Paula-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Santa Paula, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs near Santa Paula. The closest is Moorpark College in Moorpark, CA (13.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Los Angeles City College (48.0 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying game design roles near Santa Paula?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Santa Paula are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($218,290), Software Developers ($159,430), 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 Camarillo instead of Santa Paula?

Camarillo, CA is 9.2 miles from Santa Paula 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 Santa Paula an affordable place to study game design?

Santa Paula’s median household income of $77,130 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Paula 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 Santa Paula

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

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)