Best Game Design Schools Near Atlanta, GA (2026)

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

Atlanta, Georgia has 4 accredited schools offering game design programs. Atlanta has a population of about 499,287. Median household income is $81,938 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 58.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $177,970 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Atlanta

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

Georgia State University

Atlanta, GA 2.2 miles from Atlanta
  • 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

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

Game Design Wages Near Atlanta

Atlanta is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area (BLS area code 12060). 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 $132,960 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $132,827
Special Effects Artists and Animators $76,110 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $76,034
Graphic Designers $62,680 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $62,617
Web and Digital Interface Designers $118,190 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $118,072
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $105,800 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $105,694
Writers and Authors $81,990 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $81,908
Computer Programmers $101,910 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $101,808
Computer and Information Systems Managers $177,970 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $177,792

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.

Atlanta at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 499,287 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $81,938 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 58.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.1 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Atlanta-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering game design programs near Atlanta. The closest is Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA (2.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is West Georgia Technical College (44.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Atlanta are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($177,970), Software Developers ($132,960), Web and Digital Interface Designers ($118,190). 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 East Point instead of Atlanta?

East Point, GA is 7.0 miles from Atlanta 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 Atlanta an affordable place to study game design?

Atlanta’s median household income of $81,938 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Atlanta while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Georgia 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 Atlanta

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

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)