Best Online Graphic Design Programs in Boulder, CO (2026)

Boulder, Colorado has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs. Boulder has a population of about 106,274. Median household income is $85,364 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 76.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Boulder, CO metro area, the top-earning graphic design-related role is Web and Digital Interface Designer at a median $139,900 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Graphic Design Schools to Boulder

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

#1

Front Range Community College

Westminster, CO 14.4 miles from Boulder BOC Score 61.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,910
Avg net price $13,031/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design

Lakewood, CO 21.9 miles from Boulder BOC Score 21.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,958
Avg net price $32,363/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Red Rocks Community College

Lakewood, CO 22.2 miles from Boulder BOC Score 64.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,288
Avg net price $9,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO 23.4 miles from Boulder BOC Score 43.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,093
Avg net price $15,327/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Community College of Denver

Denver, CO 23.8 miles from Boulder BOC Score 37.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,095
Avg net price $9,450/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,902
Out‑of‑state$17,136
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Denver

Denver, CO 28.7 miles from Boulder BOC Score 70.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,155
Avg net price $36,131/yr
Tuition
In‑state$61,398
Out‑of‑state$61,398
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Arapahoe Community College

Littleton, CO 31.5 miles from Boulder BOC Score 57.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,341
Avg net price $11,571/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Aims Community College

Greeley, CO 35.7 miles from Boulder BOC Score 52.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,887
Avg net price $11,463/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Graphic Design Wages Near Boulder

Boulder is part of the Boulder, CO metro area (BLS area code 14500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Graphic Designer$67,680Boulder, CO$64,335
Art Director$107,130Boulder, CO$101,835
Web and Digital Interface Designer$139,900Boulder, CO$132,985
Special Effects Artist and Animator$91,290CO statewide$86,778

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.


Boulder at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population106,274Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$85,364Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+76.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)105.2 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Boulder-Area Cities With Graphic Design Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited graphic design schools are near Boulder, CO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs near Boulder. The closest is Front Range Community College in Westminster, CO (14.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Metropolitan State University of Denver (23.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying graphic design-related roles near Boulder are: Web and Digital Interface Designer ($139,900), Art Director ($107,130), Special Effects Artist and Animator ($91,290). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Louisville instead of Boulder?

Louisville, CO is 6.9 miles from Boulder 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 Boulder an affordable place to study graphic design?

Boulder’s median household income of $85,364 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Boulder while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado 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 Boulder

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

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.