Best Game Design Schools Near Portage, MI (2026)

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

Portage, Michigan has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs, with tuition ranging from $13,000 to $24,526 per year for indexed programs. Portage has a population of about 49,015. Median household income is $79,529 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $137,390 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Portage

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

Jackson College

Jackson, MI 60.8 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,898
Avg net price $7,761/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI 67.7 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,253
Avg net price $19,680/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 230

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Muskegon Community College

Muskegon, MI 78.8 miles from Portage
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,549
Avg net price $4,005/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Baker College

Owosso, MI 90.2 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
34.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 82%
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,833
Avg net price $13,157/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,000
Out‑of‑state$13,000
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Washtenaw Community College

Ann Arbor, MI 98.6 miles from Portage
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,449
Avg net price $3,249/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, MI 100.5 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
50.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,793
Avg net price $15,407/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 156

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Wayne County Community College District

Detroit, MI 130.0 miles from Portage
  • 2 year
21.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 20%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $29,079
Avg net price $7,656/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Macomb Community College

Warren, MI 135.4 miles from Portage
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 17%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,596
Avg net price $1,618/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Game Design Wages Near Portage

Portage is part of the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area (BLS area code 28020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $118,100 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $124,578
Special Effects Artists and Animators $86,630 MI statewide $91,382
Graphic Designers $57,820 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $60,992
Web and Digital Interface Designers $81,010 MI statewide $85,454
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $98,720 MI statewide $104,135
Writers and Authors N/A MI statewide –
Computer Programmers $78,880 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $83,207
Computer and Information Systems Managers $137,390 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $144,926

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.

Portage at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 49,015 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $79,529 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 48.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 94.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Portage-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Portage, MI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs near Portage. The closest is Jackson College in Jackson, MI (60.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Washtenaw Community College (98.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Portage are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($137,390), Software Developers ($118,100), Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers ($98,720). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Kalamazoo instead of Portage?

Kalamazoo, MI is 5.2 miles from Portage 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 Portage an affordable place to study game design?

Portage’s median household income of $79,529 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Portage while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Portage

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

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 Michigan: Online Programs (2026)