Best Game Design Schools Near Portland, ME (2026)

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

Portland, Maine has 3 accredited schools offering game design programs. Portland has a population of about 68,505. Median household income is $76,174 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 59.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $167,100 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Portland

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer game design programs near Portland, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Portland city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

No school data available.

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

Game Design Wages Near Portland

Portland is part of the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area (BLS area code 38860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Maine statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $128,710 Portland-South Portland, ME $126,310
Special Effects Artists and Animators N/A ME statewide –
Graphic Designers $67,650 Portland-South Portland, ME $66,389
Web and Digital Interface Designers $68,700 Portland-South Portland, ME $67,419
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $92,050 Portland-South Portland, ME $90,334
Writers and Authors N/A ME statewide –
Computer Programmers $131,960 Portland-South Portland, ME $129,500
Computer and Information Systems Managers $167,100 Portland-South Portland, ME $163,984

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.

Portland at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 68,505 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $76,174 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 59.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 101.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Portland-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Portland, ME?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering game design programs near Portland. The closest is NHTI-Concord’s Community College in Concord, NH (70.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is New England College (85.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Portland are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($167,100), Computer Programmers ($131,960), Software Developers ($128,710). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Maine statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in South Portland instead of Portland?

South Portland, ME is 3.3 miles from Portland 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 Portland an affordable place to study game design?

Portland’s median household income of $76,174 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Portland while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Maine 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 Portland

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

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.

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