Best Game Design Schools Near Norfolk, VA (2026)

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

Norfolk, Virginia is home to about 235,037 residents. Median household income is $64,017 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $170,560 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Norfolk

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

Norfolk is part of the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area (BLS area code 47260). 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 $129,090 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $131,859
Special Effects Artists and Animators $78,430 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $80,112
Graphic Designers $60,150 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $61,440
Web and Digital Interface Designers $68,590 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $70,061
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $105,970 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $108,243
Writers and Authors $73,460 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $75,036
Computer Programmers $103,070 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $105,281
Computer and Information Systems Managers $170,560 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $174,219

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.

Norfolk at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 235,037 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $64,017 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 32.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Norfolk-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Norfolk are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($170,560), Software Developers ($129,090), Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers ($105,970). 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 Portsmouth instead of Norfolk?

Portsmouth, VA is 6.2 miles from Norfolk 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 Norfolk an affordable place to study game design?

Norfolk’s median household income of $64,017 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Norfolk 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 Norfolk

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

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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