Best Game Design Schools Near Fort Walton Beach, FL (2026)

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

Fort Walton Beach, Florida is home to about 20,956 residents. Median household income is $66,556 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $161,140 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Fort Walton Beach

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

Florida Southern College

Lakeland, FL 326.5 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,294
Avg net price $28,551/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Orange Technical College-East Campus

Winter Park, FL 340.2 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $31,858
Avg net price $9,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Orange Technical College-South Campus

Orlando, FL 340.8 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 2 year
41.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,350
Avg net price $9,215/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Palm Beach Atlantic University

West Palm Beach, FL 474.0 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
39.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,232
Avg net price $28,354/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale, FL 489.7 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,696
Avg net price $30,498/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

William T McFatter Technical College

Davie, FL 490.7 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,656
Avg net price $11,901/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL 504.8 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,328
Avg net price $37,244/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 187

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Miami Dade College

Miami, FL 506.4 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,654
Avg net price $5,463/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 95

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Game Design Wages Near Fort Walton Beach

Fort Walton Beach is part of the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area (BLS area code 18880). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $130,640 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL $134,680
Special Effects Artists and Animators $85,870 FL statewide $88,526
Graphic Designers $65,560 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL $67,588
Web and Digital Interface Designers $77,730 FL statewide $80,134
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $124,040 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL $127,876
Writers and Authors $68,080 FL statewide $70,186
Computer Programmers $100,650 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL $103,763
Computer and Information Systems Managers $161,140 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL $166,124

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.

Fort Walton Beach at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 20,956 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $66,556 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Fort Walton Beach-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying game design roles near Fort Walton Beach?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Fort Walton Beach are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($161,140), Software Developers ($130,640), Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers ($124,040). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Crestview instead of Fort Walton Beach?

Crestview, FL is 22.5 miles from Fort Walton Beach 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 Fort Walton Beach an affordable place to study game design?

Fort Walton Beach’s median household income of $66,556 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fort Walton Beach while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Fort Walton Beach

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Fort Walton Beach:

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 Florida: Online Programs (2026)