Best Online Graphic Design Programs in Chico, CA (2026)

Updated July 30, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Chico, California has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs, with tuition ranging from $8,472 to $26,283 per year for indexed programs. Chico has a population of about 102,032. Median household income is $67,929 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning graphic design-related role is Art Director at a median $137,780 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Graphic Design Schools to Chico

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer graphic design programs near Chico, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Chico 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 Chico. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Acceptance rate 93%

Graduation rate 63%

Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,172

Avg net price $14,480/yr

Tuition

In‑state$8,472

Out‑of‑state$21,072

Contact

First and Normal Sts Chico, CA 95929-0150
(530) 898-6116
Visit website

Key stats

Retention rate: 83%
Programs offered: 30

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDS College Scorecard

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

Graphic Design Wages Near Chico

Chico is part of the Chico, CA metro area (BLS area code 17020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation	Median Wage	Source	COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Graphic Designer	$58,040	Chico, CA	$57,352
Art Director	$137,780	CA statewide	$136,146
Web and Digital Interface Designer	$136,110	CA statewide	$134,496
Special Effects Artist and Animator	$130,540	CA statewide	$128,992

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.

Chico at a Glance

Metric	Value	Source
Population	102,032	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$67,929	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	41.3%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)	101.2 (above U.S. average)	BEA RPP 2024

Other Chico-Area Cities With Graphic Design Programs

Paradise, CA – 11.1 mi away (35,163 pop)
Oroville, CA – 22.2 mi away (45,445 pop)
Yuba City, CA – 44.0 mi away (120,159 pop)
Grass Valley, CA – 54.8 mi away (34,508 pop)
Redding, CA – 63.2 mi away (120,288 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited graphic design schools are near Chico, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs near Chico. The closest is California State University-Chico in Chico, CA (2.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Shasta College (65.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying graphic design roles near Chico?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying graphic design-related roles near Chico are: Art Director ($137,780), Web and Digital Interface Designer ($136,110), Special Effects Artist and Animator ($130,540). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Paradise instead of Chico?

Paradise, CA is 11.1 miles from Chico and has its own set of local graphic design programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Chico an affordable place to study graphic design?

Chico’s median household income of $67,929 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chico while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California 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 Graphic Design Programs

Other Programs Available in Chico

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

Data verified: July 30, 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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