Best Game Design Schools Near Salisbury, NC (2026)

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

Salisbury, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs, with tuition ranging from $2,320 to $65,548 per year for indexed programs. Salisbury has a population of about 35,730. Median household income is $51,058 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $176,840 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Salisbury

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

Stanly Community College

Albemarle, NC 26.7 miles from Salisbury
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,686
Avg net price $5,721/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

High Point University

High Point, NC 34.9 miles from Salisbury
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
62.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,389
Avg net price $38,707/yr
Tuition
In‑state$45,312
Out‑of‑state$45,312
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Central Piedmont Community College

Charlotte, NC 36.4 miles from Salisbury
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,865
Avg net price $3,345/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Guilford Technical Community College

Jamestown, NC 39.4 miles from Salisbury
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
35.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,934
Avg net price $15,002/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,320
Out‑of‑state$7,696
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Greensboro College

Greensboro, NC 47.8 miles from Salisbury
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
38.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 70%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,566
Avg net price $17,882/yr
Tuition
In‑state$21,000
Out‑of‑state$21,000
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Western Piedmont Community College

Morganton, NC 67.2 miles from Salisbury
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,195
Avg net price $6,448/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

St. Andrews University

Laurinburg, NC 85.5 miles from Salisbury
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Fayetteville Technical Community College

Fayetteville, NC 97.3 miles from Salisbury
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $31,861
Avg net price $3,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Game Design Wages Near Salisbury

Salisbury is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $135,920 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $139,692
Special Effects Artists and Animators $92,340 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $94,902
Graphic Designers $59,810 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $61,470
Web and Digital Interface Designers $94,290 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $96,906
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $81,990 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $84,265
Writers and Authors $63,720 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $65,488
Computer Programmers $84,720 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $87,071
Computer and Information Systems Managers $176,840 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $181,747

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.

Salisbury at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 35,730 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $51,058 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 26.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Salisbury-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Salisbury, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs near Salisbury. The closest is Stanly Community College in Albemarle, NC (26.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Greensboro College (47.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Salisbury are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($176,840), Software Developers ($135,920), Web and Digital Interface Designers ($94,290). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Kannapolis instead of Salisbury?

Kannapolis, NC is 15.5 miles from Salisbury 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 Salisbury an affordable place to study game design?

Salisbury’s median household income of $51,058 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Salisbury while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Salisbury

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

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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