Best Game Design Schools Near Covington, KY (2026)

Covington, Kentucky has 1 accredited school offering game design programs, with tuition ranging from $18,161 to $41,221 per year for indexed programs. Covington has a population of about 40,902. Median household income is $58,814 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $169,530 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Game Design Schools to Covington

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer game design programs near Covington, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Covington 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 Covington. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY 176.6 miles from Covington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,889
Avg net price $10,990/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 152

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Game Design Wages Near Covington

Covington is part of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (BLS area code 17140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kentucky statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $121,420 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $127,275
Special Effects Artists and Animators $67,710 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $70,975
Graphic Designers $62,260 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $65,262
Web and Digital Interface Designers $82,820 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $86,813
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $87,940 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $92,180
Writers and Authors $62,440 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $65,451
Computer Programmers $101,640 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $106,541
Computer and Information Systems Managers $169,530 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $177,704

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.


Covington at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 40,902 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $58,814 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 32.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Covington-Area Cities With Game Design Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Covington, KY?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering game design programs near Covington. The closest is Miami University-Oxford in Oxford, OH (34.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Miami University-Oxford (34.8 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Covington are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($169,530), Software Developers ($121,420), Computer Programmers ($101,640). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kentucky statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Independence instead of Covington?

Independence, KY is 5.9 miles from Covington 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 Covington an affordable place to study game design?

Covington’s median household income of $58,814 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Covington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kentucky 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 Covington

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.