Best Game Design Schools Near Clifton, NJ (2026)

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

Clifton, New Jersey has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs. Clifton has a population of about 89,247. Median household income is $99,003 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $215,300 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Clifton

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

Bergen Community College

Paramus, NJ 7.1 miles from Clifton
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,624
Avg net price $10,345/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

UCNJ Union College of Union County, New Jersey

Cranford, NJ 15.9 miles from Clifton
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,595
Avg net price $8,257/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Raritan Valley Community College

Branchburg, NJ 32.8 miles from Clifton
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,145
Avg net price $6,778/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Brookdale Community College

Lincroft, NJ 37.2 miles from Clifton
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,379
Avg net price $11,231/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Mercer County Community College

West Windsor, NJ 49.4 miles from Clifton
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,264
Avg net price $5,279/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Rowan University

Glassboro, NJ 94.5 miles from Clifton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
68.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,988
Avg net price $22,408/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,574
Out‑of‑state$26,932
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 184

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Salem Community College

Carneys Point, NJ 106.1 miles from Clifton
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,020
Avg net price $10,816/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Game Design Wages Near Clifton

Clifton is part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (BLS area code 35620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New Jersey statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $166,830 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $148,162
Special Effects Artists and Animators $96,760 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $85,933
Graphic Designers $79,280 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $70,409
Web and Digital Interface Designers $119,190 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $105,853
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $130,540 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $115,933
Writers and Authors $81,590 NJ statewide $72,460
Computer Programmers $126,750 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $112,567
Computer and Information Systems Managers $215,300 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $191,208

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.

Clifton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 89,247 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $99,003 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 34.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 112.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Clifton-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Clifton, NJ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs near Clifton. The closest is Bergen Community College in Paramus, NJ (7.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is St. John’s University-New York (21.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Clifton are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($215,300), Software Developers ($166,830), Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers ($130,540). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New Jersey statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Passaic instead of Clifton?

Passaic, NJ is 1.6 miles from Clifton 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 Clifton an affordable place to study game design?

Clifton’s median household income of $99,003 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Clifton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New Jersey 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 Clifton

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

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 New Jersey: Online Programs (2026)