Best Game Design Schools Near Parkersburg, WV (2026)

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

Parkersburg, West Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs, with tuition ranging from $6,006 to $13,935 per year for indexed programs. Parkersburg has a population of about 29,461. Median household income is $44,675 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Parkersburg-Vienna, WV metro area, the top-earning game design-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $152,860 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Game Design Schools to Parkersburg

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

West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV 88.5 miles from Parkersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,939
Avg net price $15,634/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 168

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Game Design Wages Near Parkersburg

Parkersburg is part of the Parkersburg-Vienna, WV metro area (BLS area code 37620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to West Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $121,000 WV statewide $138,921
Special Effects Artists and Animators $60,940 WV statewide $69,966
Graphic Designers $39,250 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV $45,063
Web and Digital Interface Designers $71,880 WV statewide $82,526
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $62,300 WV statewide $71,527
Writers and Authors $64,410 WV statewide $73,949
Computer Programmers $65,320 WV statewide $74,994
Computer and Information Systems Managers $152,860 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV $175,499

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.

Parkersburg at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 29,461 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $44,675 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 18.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 87.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Parkersburg-Area Cities With Game Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited game design schools are near Parkersburg, WV?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering game design programs near Parkersburg. The closest is Ohio University-Main Campus in Athens, OH (30.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Columbus State Community College (91.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying game design-related roles near Parkersburg are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($152,860), Software Developers ($121,000), Web and Digital Interface Designers ($71,880). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with West Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Marietta instead of Parkersburg?

Marietta, OH is 12.3 miles from Parkersburg 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 Parkersburg an affordable place to study game design?

Parkersburg’s median household income of $44,675 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Parkersburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and West 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 Parkersburg

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

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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