Best Game Design Schools Near North Royalton, OH (2026)

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

North Royalton, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs, with tuition ranging from $6,006 to $13,935 per year for indexed programs. North Royalton has a population of about 31,013. Median household income is $81,810 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 39.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cleveland, OH metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $156,410 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to North Royalton

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

Cuyahoga Community College District

Cleveland, OH 12.9 miles from North Royalton
  • 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

#2

Cleveland Institute of Art

Cleveland, OH 15.5 miles from North Royalton
  • 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

Stark State College

North Canton, OH 34.5 miles from North Royalton
  • 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

#4

Heidelberg University

Tiffin, OH 75.2 miles from North Royalton
  • 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

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#5

Zane State College

Zanesville, OH 94.6 miles from North Royalton
  • 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

#6

Columbus State Community College

Columbus, OH 113.5 miles from North Royalton
  • 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 113.7 miles from North Royalton
  • 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 138.6 miles from North Royalton
  • 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 North Royalton

North Royalton is part of the Cleveland, OH metro area (BLS area code 17410). 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 $111,310 Cleveland, OH $118,541
Special Effects Artists and Animators $67,000 OH statewide $71,353
Graphic Designers $59,780 Cleveland, OH $63,663
Web and Digital Interface Designers $86,340 Cleveland, OH $91,949
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $102,190 Cleveland, OH $108,829
Writers and Authors $60,880 Cleveland, OH $64,835
Computer Programmers $79,290 Cleveland, OH $84,441
Computer and Information Systems Managers $156,410 Cleveland, OH $166,571

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.

North Royalton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 31,013 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $81,810 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 39.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other North Royalton-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near North Royalton, OH?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs near North Royalton. The closest is Cuyahoga Community College District in Cleveland, OH (12.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Zane State College (94.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying game design roles near North Royalton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near North Royalton are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($156,410), Software Developers ($111,310), Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers ($102,190). 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 Strongsville instead of North Royalton?

Strongsville, OH is 4.5 miles from North Royalton 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 North Royalton an affordable place to study game design?

North Royalton’s median household income of $81,810 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in North Royalton 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 North Royalton

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

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)