Best Game Design Schools Near Wilmington, NC (2026)

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

Wilmington, North Carolina has 4 accredited schools offering game design programs. Wilmington has a population of about 118,578. Median household income is $63,900 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 45.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Wilmington, NC metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $160,980 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Wilmington

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

Wayne Community College

Goldsboro, NC 82.5 miles from Wilmington
  • 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

#2

Fayetteville Technical Community College

Fayetteville, NC 83.8 miles from Wilmington
  • 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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#3

Pitt Community College

Winterville, NC 96.5 miles from Wilmington
  • 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

#4

St. Andrews University

Laurinburg, NC 98.0 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC 100.9 miles from Wilmington
  • 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

#6

Wake Technical Community College

Raleigh, NC 109.8 miles from Wilmington
  • 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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#7

William Peace University

Raleigh, NC 117.1 miles from Wilmington
  • 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

#8

Stanly Community College

Albemarle, NC 154.5 miles from Wilmington
  • 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

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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 Wilmington

Wilmington is part of the Wilmington, NC metro area (BLS area code 48900). 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 $123,730 Wilmington, NC $128,351
Special Effects Artists and Animators $88,350 NC statewide $91,649
Graphic Designers $54,720 Wilmington, NC $56,763
Web and Digital Interface Designers $97,990 NC statewide $101,649
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $86,200 Wilmington, NC $89,419
Writers and Authors $47,940 Wilmington, NC $49,730
Computer Programmers $79,530 Wilmington, NC $82,500
Computer and Information Systems Managers $160,980 Wilmington, NC $166,992

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.

Wilmington at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 118,578 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $63,900 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 45.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Wilmington-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering game design programs near Wilmington. The closest is Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, NC (82.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is St. Andrews University (98.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Wilmington are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($160,980), Software Developers ($123,730), Web and Digital Interface Designers ($97,990). 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 Jacksonville instead of Wilmington?

Jacksonville, NC is 45.6 miles from Wilmington 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 Wilmington an affordable place to study game design?

Wilmington’s median household income of $63,900 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wilmington 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 Wilmington

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

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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