Best Game Design Schools Near Manchester, NH (2026)

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

Manchester, New Hampshire has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs. Manchester has a population of about 115,415. Median household income is $77,415 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 33.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Manchester-Nashua, NH metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $175,530 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Manchester

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

Southern New Hampshire University

Manchester, NH 3.8 miles from Manchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
27.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,318
Avg net price $36,708/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Game Design Wages Near Manchester

Manchester is part of the Manchester-Nashua, NH metro area (BLS area code 31700). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New Hampshire statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $162,090 Manchester-Nashua, NH $153,349
Special Effects Artists and Animators N/A NH statewide –
Graphic Designers $59,040 Manchester-Nashua, NH $55,856
Web and Digital Interface Designers $113,700 Manchester-Nashua, NH $107,569
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $115,000 Manchester-Nashua, NH $108,798
Writers and Authors $64,010 Manchester-Nashua, NH $60,558
Computer Programmers $62,810 Manchester-Nashua, NH $59,423
Computer and Information Systems Managers $175,530 Manchester-Nashua, NH $166,064

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.

Manchester at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 115,415 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $77,415 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 33.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 105.7 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Manchester-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Manchester, NH?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs near Manchester. The closest is Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, NH (3.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northeastern University (48.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Manchester are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($175,530), Software Developers ($162,090), Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers ($115,000). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New Hampshire statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Nashua instead of Manchester?

Nashua, NH is 16.4 miles from Manchester 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 Manchester an affordable place to study game design?

Manchester’s median household income of $77,415 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Manchester while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New Hampshire 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 Manchester

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

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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