Best Game Design Schools Near Northampton, MA (2026)

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

Northampton, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs. Northampton has a population of about 28,640. Median household income is $78,467 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 61.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $156,040 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Northampton

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

Hampshire College

Amherst, MA 7.3 miles from Northampton
  • 4 year
40.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,938
Avg net price $24,034/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA 44.4 miles from Northampton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $103,470
Avg net price $43,071/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Quinsigamond Community College

Worcester, MA 44.9 miles from Northampton
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,949
Avg net price $9,090/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, MA 48.6 miles from Northampton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,874
Avg net price $14,262/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Northeastern University

Boston, MA 81.0 miles from Northampton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
Avg net price $30,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Bristol Community College

Fall River, MA 90.1 miles from Northampton
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
49.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,663
Avg net price $5,547/yr
Tuition
In‑state$5,832
Out‑of‑state$10,776
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Game Design Wages Near Northampton

Northampton is part of the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area (BLS area code 11200). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $126,670 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $126,417
Special Effects Artists and Animators $80,640 MA statewide $80,479
Graphic Designers $65,510 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $65,379
Web and Digital Interface Designers $113,540 MA statewide $113,313
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $122,210 MA statewide $121,966
Writers and Authors $65,290 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $65,160
Computer Programmers $68,090 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $67,954
Computer and Information Systems Managers $156,040 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $155,729

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.

Northampton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 28,640 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $78,467 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 61.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.2 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Northampton-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Northampton, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs near Northampton. The closest is Hampshire College in Amherst, MA (7.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Fitchburg State University (48.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Northampton are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($156,040), Software Developers ($126,670), Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers ($122,210). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Holyoke instead of Northampton?

Holyoke, MA is 8.1 miles from Northampton 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 Northampton an affordable place to study game design?

Northampton’s median household income of $78,467 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Northampton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 Northampton

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

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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