Best Game Design Schools Near Portland, OR (2026)

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

Portland, Oregon has 1 accredited school offering game design programs. Portland has a population of about 642,715. Median household income is $88,792 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 53.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $183,720 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Portland

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

Mt Hood Community College

Gresham, OR 12.3 miles from Portland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,125
Avg net price $7,821/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Southern Oregon University

Ashland, OR 231.6 miles from Portland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,175
Avg net price $16,732/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Game Design Wages Near Portland

Portland is part of the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area (BLS area code 38900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Oregon statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $156,000 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $148,008
Special Effects Artists and Animators N/A OR statewide –
Graphic Designers $75,650 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $71,774
Web and Digital Interface Designers $120,640 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $114,459
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $109,760 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $104,137
Writers and Authors $87,560 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $83,074
Computer Programmers $99,150 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $94,070
Computer and Information Systems Managers $183,720 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $174,307

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.

Portland at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 642,715 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $88,792 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 53.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 105.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Portland-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Portland, OR?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering game design programs near Portland. The closest is Mt Hood Community College in Gresham, OR (12.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Mt Hood Community College (12.3 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Portland are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($183,720), Software Developers ($156,000), Web and Digital Interface Designers ($120,640). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Oregon statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Milwaukie instead of Portland?

Milwaukie, OR is 6.5 miles from Portland 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 Portland an affordable place to study game design?

Portland’s median household income of $88,792 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Portland while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Oregon 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 Portland

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

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 Oregon: Online Programs (2026)