Best Game Design Schools Near Wake Forest, NC (2026)

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

Wake Forest, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs. Wake Forest has a population of about 51,199. Median household income is $120,777 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $173,960 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Wake Forest

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

William Peace University

Raleigh, NC 13.9 miles from Wake Forest
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,643
Avg net price $21,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Wake Technical Community College

Raleigh, NC 24.1 miles from Wake Forest
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,769
Avg net price $8,759/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Wayne Community College

Goldsboro, NC 50.1 miles from Wake Forest
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,148
Avg net price $2,245/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Fayetteville Technical Community College

Fayetteville, NC 66.0 miles from Wake Forest
  • 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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#5

Pitt Community College

Winterville, NC 68.3 miles from Wake Forest
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,259
Avg net price $7,337/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC 68.8 miles from Wake Forest
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,146
Avg net price $15,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 165

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Greensboro College

Greensboro, NC 72.2 miles from Wake Forest
  • 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

#8

Guilford Technical Community College

Jamestown, NC 78.7 miles from Wake Forest
  • 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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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all North Carolina schools on the North Carolina game design page.

Game Design Wages Near Wake Forest

Wake Forest is part of the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area (BLS area code 39580). 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 $132,770 Raleigh-Cary, NC $135,204
Special Effects Artists and Animators $79,360 Raleigh-Cary, NC $80,815
Graphic Designers $61,700 Raleigh-Cary, NC $62,831
Web and Digital Interface Designers $102,860 Raleigh-Cary, NC $104,745
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $110,800 Raleigh-Cary, NC $112,831
Writers and Authors $69,100 Raleigh-Cary, NC $70,367
Computer Programmers $81,070 NC statewide $82,556
Computer and Information Systems Managers $173,960 Raleigh-Cary, NC $177,149

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.

Wake Forest at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 51,199 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $120,777 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 57.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Wake Forest-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Wake Forest, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs near Wake Forest. The closest is William Peace University in Raleigh, NC (13.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pitt Community College (68.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying game design roles near Wake Forest?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Wake Forest are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($173,960), Software Developers ($132,770), Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers ($110,800). 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 Raleigh instead of Wake Forest?

Raleigh, NC is 11.6 miles from Wake Forest 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 Wake Forest an affordable place to study game design?

Wake Forest’s median household income of $120,777 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wake Forest 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 Wake Forest

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

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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