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Best Game Design Schools Near Portsmouth, VA (2026)
Portsmouth, Virginia is home to about 97,299 residents. Median household income is $58,972 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.2% 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 Portsmouth
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer game design programs near Portsmouth, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth
Portsmouth 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.
Portsmouth at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 97,299 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $58,972 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 23.2% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 97.9 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Portsmouth-Area Cities With Game Design Programs
- Norfolk, VA – 6.2 mi away (245,115 pop)
- Chesapeake, VA – 12.0 mi away (237,940 pop)
- Hampton, VA – 14.4 mi away (135,410 pop)
- Virginia Beach, VA – 18.9 mi away (1,487,505 pop)
- Suffolk, VA – 19.0 mi away (89,273 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the highest-paying game design roles near Portsmouth?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Portsmouth 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 Norfolk instead of Portsmouth?
Norfolk, VA is 6.2 miles from Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth an affordable place to study game design?
Portsmouth’s median household income of $58,972 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Portsmouth 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
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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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