South Lake Tahoe, California has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs, with tuition ranging from $1,131 to $17,666 per year for indexed programs. South Lake Tahoe has a population of about 21,319. Median household income is $73,940 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area, the top-earning graphic design-related role is Special Effects Artist and Animator at a median $122,880 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Graphic Design Schools to South Lake Tahoe
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer graphic design programs near South Lake Tahoe, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from South Lake Tahoe 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 South Lake Tahoe.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
94%
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$64,876
Avg net price
$9,338/yr
TuitionIn‑state$8,018
Out‑of‑state$20,618
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 30
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$78,445
Avg net price
$25,447/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 89%
- Programs offered: 32
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
42%
Graduation rate
85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$80,838
Avg net price
$14,741/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,774
Out‑of‑state$50,974
Key stats- Retention rate: 93%
- Programs offered: 27
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,368
Avg net price
$2,818/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 71
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
93%
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$64,172
Avg net price
$14,480/yr
TuitionIn‑state$8,472
Out‑of‑state$21,072
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 30
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,170
Avg net price
$4,669/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$70,484
Avg net price
$41,008/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 88%
- Programs offered: 18
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
11%
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$92,446
Avg net price
$13,481/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Key stats- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 20
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California graphic design page.
Graphic Design Wages Near South Lake Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe is part of the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area (BLS area code 40900). 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 | $74,680 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $69,991 |
| Art Director | $106,390 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $99,709 |
| Web and Digital Interface Designer | $112,840 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $105,754 |
| Special Effects Artist and Animator | $122,880 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $115,164 |
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.
South Lake Tahoe at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 21,319 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $73,940 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 34.0% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 106.7 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other South Lake Tahoe-Area Cities With Graphic Design Programs
- Carson City, NV – 19.3 mi away (57,522 pop)
- Reno, NV – 42.7 mi away (427,007 pop)
- Sparks, NV – 46.1 mi away (98,345 pop)
- Placerville, CA – 46.2 mi away (30,531 pop)
- Grass Valley, CA – 60.8 mi away (34,508 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited graphic design schools are near South Lake Tahoe, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs near South Lake Tahoe. The closest is Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe, CA (1.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Folsom Lake College (64.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying graphic design roles near South Lake Tahoe?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying graphic design-related roles near South Lake Tahoe are: Special Effects Artist and Animator ($122,880), Web and Digital Interface Designer ($112,840), Art Director ($106,390). 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 Carson City instead of South Lake Tahoe?
Carson City, NV is 19.3 miles from South Lake Tahoe 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 South Lake Tahoe an affordable place to study graphic design?
South Lake Tahoe’s median household income of $73,940 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in South Lake Tahoe 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
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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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