Best Game Design Schools Near Aurora, IL (2026)

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

Aurora, Illinois has 2 accredited schools offering game design programs, with tuition ranging from $5,184 to $17,359 per year for indexed programs. Aurora has a population of about 179,867. Median household income is $90,109 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $173,760 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Aurora

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

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL 35.1 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
24.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,195
Avg net price $26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Lake Land College

Mattoon, IL 162.2 miles from Aurora
  • 2 year
  • Accredited
53.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,877
Avg net price $2,254/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,415
Out‑of‑state$14,301
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Game Design Wages Near Aurora

Aurora is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $134,380 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $129,710
Special Effects Artists and Animators $83,200 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $80,309
Graphic Designers $66,490 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $64,180
Web and Digital Interface Designers $87,920 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $84,865
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $105,580 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $101,911
Writers and Authors $75,940 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $73,301
Computer Programmers $99,750 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $96,284
Computer and Information Systems Managers $173,760 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $167,722

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.

Aurora at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 179,867 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $90,109 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 37.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Aurora-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Aurora, IL?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering game design programs near Aurora. The closest is Columbia College Chicago in Chicago, IL (35.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Milwaukee Area Technical College (90.4 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Aurora are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($173,760), Software Developers ($134,380), Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers ($105,580). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Batavia instead of Aurora?

Batavia, IL is 6.0 miles from Aurora 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 Aurora an affordable place to study game design?

Aurora’s median household income of $90,109 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Aurora while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Aurora

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

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 Illinois: Online Programs (2026)