Best Game Design Schools Near Athens, GA (2026)

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

Athens, Georgia has 3 accredited schools offering game design programs. Athens has a population of about 137,582. In the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $137,570 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Athens

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

Gwinnett Technical College

Lawrenceville, GA 40.0 miles from Athens
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,025
Avg net price $6,696/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Georgia State University

Atlanta, GA 60.0 miles from Athens
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,384
Avg net price $15,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 133

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, GA 69.8 miles from Athens
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,552
Avg net price $15,048/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 116

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

West Georgia Technical College

Waco, GA 105.7 miles from Athens
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,479
Avg net price $2,457/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College

Valdosta, GA 211.5 miles from Athens
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
50.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $30,864
Avg net price $614/yr
Tuition
In‑state$3,480
Out‑of‑state$6,048
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Game Design Wages Near Athens

Athens is part of the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area (BLS area code 12020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Georgia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $106,870 Athens-Clarke County, GA $114,544
Special Effects Artists and Animators $81,390 GA statewide $87,235
Graphic Designers $47,750 Athens-Clarke County, GA $51,179
Web and Digital Interface Designers $52,360 Athens-Clarke County, GA $56,120
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $103,040 GA statewide $110,439
Writers and Authors $74,710 GA statewide $80,075
Computer Programmers $98,380 GA statewide $105,445
Computer and Information Systems Managers $137,570 Athens-Clarke County, GA $147,449

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.

Athens at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Athens-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Athens, GA?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering game design programs near Athens. The closest is Gwinnett Technical College in Lawrenceville, GA (40.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Kennesaw State University (69.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Athens are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($137,570), Software Developers ($106,870), Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers ($103,040). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Georgia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Winder instead of Athens?

Winder, GA is 20.4 miles from Athens 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.

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 Athens

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

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 Georgia: Online Programs (2026)