Best Game Design Schools Near Castle Rock, CO (2026)

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

Castle Rock, Colorado has 4 accredited schools offering game design programs, with tuition ranging from $61,398 to $78,476 per year for indexed programs. Castle Rock has a population of about 76,614. Median household income is $143,031 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $203,340 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Castle Rock

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

Arapahoe Community College

Littleton, CO 18.3 miles from Castle Rock
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,341
Avg net price $11,571/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Denver

Denver, CO 21.7 miles from Castle Rock
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,155
Avg net price $36,131/yr
Tuition
In‑state$61,398
Out‑of‑state$61,398
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 116

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design

Lakewood, CO 27.9 miles from Castle Rock
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
21.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,958
Avg net price $32,363/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Red Rocks Community College

Lakewood, CO 28.5 miles from Castle Rock
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,288
Avg net price $9,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Game Design Wages Near Castle Rock

Castle Rock is part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (BLS area code 19740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $137,610 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $130,066
Special Effects Artists and Animators $91,290 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $86,285
Graphic Designers $72,500 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $68,526
Web and Digital Interface Designers $98,330 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $92,940
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $123,690 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $116,909
Writers and Authors $69,100 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $65,312
Computer Programmers $104,610 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $98,875
Computer and Information Systems Managers $203,340 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $192,193

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.

Castle Rock at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 76,614 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $143,031 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 54.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 105.8 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Castle Rock-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Castle Rock, CO?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering game design programs near Castle Rock. The closest is Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, CO (18.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Red Rocks Community College (28.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying game design roles near Castle Rock?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Castle Rock are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($203,340), Software Developers ($137,610), Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers ($123,690). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Parker instead of Castle Rock?

Parker, CO is 10.0 miles from Castle Rock 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 Castle Rock an affordable place to study game design?

Castle Rock’s median household income of $143,031 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Castle Rock while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado 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 Castle Rock

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

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 Colorado: Online Programs (2026)