Best Game Design Schools Near Fairfax, VA (2026)

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

Fairfax, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs. Fairfax has a population of about 24,478. Median household income is $132,774 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 62.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $195,190 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Fairfax

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer game design programs near Fairfax, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Fairfax city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

No school data available.

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

Game Design Wages Near Fairfax

Fairfax is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $154,930 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $142,268
Special Effects Artists and Animators $92,760 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $85,179
Graphic Designers $85,420 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $78,439
Web and Digital Interface Designers $97,000 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $89,073
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $126,350 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $116,024
Writers and Authors $108,460 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $99,596
Computer Programmers $130,390 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $119,734
Computer and Information Systems Managers $195,190 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $179,238

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.

Fairfax at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 24,478 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $132,774 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 62.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Fairfax-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Fairfax, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs near Fairfax. The closest is American University in Washington, DC (12.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (97.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Fairfax are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($195,190), Software Developers ($154,930), Computer Programmers ($130,390). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Herndon instead of Fairfax?

Herndon, VA is 9.3 miles from Fairfax 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 Fairfax an affordable place to study game design?

Fairfax’s median household income of $132,774 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fairfax while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Fairfax

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

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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