Best Game Design Schools Near Canton, OH (2026)

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

Canton, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs, with tuition ranging from $6,006 to $83,654 per year for indexed programs. Canton has a population of about 70,105. Median household income is $39,754 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Canton-Massillon, OH metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $146,140 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Canton

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

Stark State College

North Canton, OH 5.7 miles from Canton
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,661
Avg net price $5,986/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 93

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Cleveland Institute of Art

Cleveland, OH 50.0 miles from Canton
  • 4 year
40.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,509
Avg net price $29,208/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Cuyahoga Community College District

Cleveland, OH 50.2 miles from Canton
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,654
Avg net price $4,266/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Zane State College

Zanesville, OH 68.1 miles from Canton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
51.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,006
Avg net price $8,062/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,006
Out‑of‑state$11,766
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Heidelberg University

Tiffin, OH 96.3 miles from Canton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,466
Avg net price $20,556/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Columbus State Community College

Columbus, OH 103.1 miles from Canton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,435
Avg net price $8,400/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Columbus College of Art & Design

Columbus, OH 103.3 miles from Canton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
42.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,664
Avg net price $29,439/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Ohio University-Main Campus

Athens, OH 109.5 miles from Canton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,581
Avg net price $21,637/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 217

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Game Design Wages Near Canton

Canton is part of the Canton-Massillon, OH metro area (BLS area code 15940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $105,500 Canton-Massillon, OH $118,009
Special Effects Artists and Animators $67,000 OH statewide $74,944
Graphic Designers $50,750 Canton-Massillon, OH $56,767
Web and Digital Interface Designers $83,360 OH statewide $93,244
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $93,450 Canton-Massillon, OH $104,530
Writers and Authors $65,930 OH statewide $73,747
Computer Programmers $96,750 Canton-Massillon, OH $108,221
Computer and Information Systems Managers $146,140 Canton-Massillon, OH $163,468

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.

Canton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 70,105 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $39,754 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 15.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 89.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Canton-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Canton, OH?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs near Canton. The closest is Stark State College in North Canton, OH (5.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Carnegie Mellon University (78.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Canton are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($146,140), Software Developers ($105,500), Computer Programmers ($96,750). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Massillon instead of Canton?

Massillon, OH is 8.4 miles from Canton 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 Canton an affordable place to study game design?

Canton’s median household income of $39,754 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Canton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Canton

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

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 Ohio: Online Programs (2026)