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

Gilroy, California has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs, with tuition ranging from $1,404 to $50,205 per year for indexed programs. Gilroy has a population of about 58,561. Median household income is $131,554 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, the top-earning graphic design-related role is Web and Digital Interface Designer at a median $201,260 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Graphic Design Schools to Gilroy

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

Ranked by BOC Score β€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 28.1 miles from Gilroy
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
86.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,988
Avg net price $13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

California State University-Monterey Bay

Seaside, CA 29.2 miles from Gilroy
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
75.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,247
Avg net price $13,663/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,779
Out‑of‑state$20,379
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 2

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

#3

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 38.8 miles from Gilroy
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,072
Avg net price $7,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 54.7 miles from Gilroy
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,368
Avg net price $2,818/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Northeastern University Oakland

Oakland, CA 62.8 miles from Gilroy
  • 4 year
42.7 BOC Score
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
Avg net price $25,181/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 0%
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, CA 69.1 miles from Gilroy
  • 4 year
46.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,414
Avg net price $53,909/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA 69.6 miles from Gilroy
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
20.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,008
Avg net price $40,613/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 69.8 miles from Gilroy
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
78.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,077
Avg net price $12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Graphic Design Wages Near Gilroy

Gilroy is part of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area (BLS area code 41940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Graphic Designer$97,360San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$88,188
Art Director$170,140San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$154,112
Web and Digital Interface Designer$201,260San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$182,301
Special Effects Artist and Animator$156,950San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$142,165

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.


Gilroy at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population58,561Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$131,554Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+28.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)110.4 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Gilroy-Area Cities With Graphic Design Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs near Gilroy. The closest is Gavilan College in Gilroy, CA (2.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of California-Santa Cruz (25.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying graphic design-related roles near Gilroy are: Web and Digital Interface Designer ($201,260), Art Director ($170,140), Special Effects Artist and Animator ($156,950). 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 Morgan Hill instead of Gilroy?

Morgan Hill, CA is 9.4 miles from Gilroy 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 Gilroy an affordable place to study graphic design?

Gilroy’s median household income of $131,554 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gilroy 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 Gilroy

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

Data verified: August 10, 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.