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Best Game Design Schools Near Marshalltown, IA (2026)
Updated September 5, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Marshalltown, Iowa has 1 accredited school offering game design programs. Marshalltown has a population of about 27,491. Median household income is $68,854 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Iowa, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $143,780 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Game Design Schools to Marshalltown
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer game design programs near Marshalltown, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Marshalltown 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 Marshalltown.
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 Iowa schools on the Iowa game design page.
Game Design Wages Near Marshalltown
Occupation
Median Annual Wage (Iowa, statewide)
Software Developers
$114,890
Special Effects Artists and Animators
$47,530
Graphic Designers
$50,310
Web and Digital Interface Designers
$69,060
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
$88,590
Writers and Authors
$61,010
Computer Programmers
$79,180
Computer and Information Systems Managers
$143,780
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.
Marshalltown at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
27,491
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$68,854
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
19.7%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Other Marshalltown-Area Cities With Game Design Programs
How many accredited game design schools are near Marshalltown, IA?
Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering game design programs near Marshalltown. The closest is Grand View University in Des Moines, IA (45.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Grand View University (45.8 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying game design roles in Iowa?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles in Iowa are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($143,780), Software Developers ($114,890), Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers ($88,590). Wages for Marshalltown workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Ames instead of Marshalltown?
Ames, IA is 37.0 miles from Marshalltown 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 Marshalltown an affordable place to study game design?
Marshalltown’s median household income of $68,854 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Marshalltown while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa 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.
