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Best Game Design Schools Near Grand Junction, CO (2026)
Updated September 5, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Grand Junction, Colorado is home to about 67,027 residents. Median household income is $66,676 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Grand Junction, CO metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $168,850 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Game Design Schools to Grand Junction
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer game design programs near Grand Junction, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Grand Junction 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:
BOCSCORE
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 Grand Junction.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Colorado schools on the Colorado game design page.
Game Design Wages Near Grand Junction
Grand Junction is part of the Grand Junction, CO metro area (BLS area code 24300). 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
$123,990
Grand Junction, CO
$129,832
Special Effects Artists and Animators
$91,290
CO statewide
$95,592
Graphic Designers
$51,540
Grand Junction, CO
$53,969
Web and Digital Interface Designers
$95,880
CO statewide
$100,398
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
$123,690
CO statewide
$129,518
Writers and Authors
$76,830
CO statewide
$80,450
Computer Programmers
$104,610
CO statewide
$109,539
Computer and Information Systems Managers
$168,850
Grand Junction, CO
$176,806
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.
Grand Junction at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
67,027
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$66,676
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
36.1%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)
95.5 (below U.S. average)
BEA RPP 2024
Other Grand Junction-Area Cities With Game Design Programs
What are the highest-paying game design roles near Grand Junction?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Grand Junction are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($168,850), Software Developers ($123,990), 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 Montrose instead of Grand Junction?
Montrose, CO is 57.3 miles from Grand Junction 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 Grand Junction an affordable place to study game design?
Grand Junction’s median household income of $66,676 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Grand Junction 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.
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.
