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

Orange, California has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs, with tuition ranging from $1,180 to $20,070 per year for indexed programs. Orange has a population of about 138,723. Median household income is $116,945 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 40.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning graphic design-related role is Art Director at a median $137,560 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Graphic Design Schools to Orange

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

#1

Santiago Canyon College

Orange, CA 3.3 miles from Orange BOC Score 56.1
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,956
Avg net price $2,129/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Chapman University

Orange, CA 10.2 miles from Orange BOC Score 61.4
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,070
Avg net price $46,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Graphic Design Wages Near Orange

Orange is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). 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$72,400Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$63,732
Art Director$137,560Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$121,092
Web and Digital Interface Designer$106,550Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$93,794
Special Effects Artist and Animator$124,590Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$109,674

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.


Orange at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population138,723Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$116,945Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+40.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Orange-Area Cities With Graphic Design Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs near Orange. The closest is Santiago Canyon College in Orange, CA (3.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Westcliff University (8.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying graphic design-related roles near Orange are: Art Director ($137,560), Special Effects Artist and Animator ($124,590), Web and Digital Interface Designer ($106,550). 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 Anaheim instead of Orange?

Anaheim, CA is 3.2 miles from Orange 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 Orange an affordable place to study graphic design?

Orange’s median household income of $116,945 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Orange 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 Orange

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.