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

Lakewood, Colorado has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs, with tuition ranging from $4,902 to $19,550 per year for indexed programs. Lakewood has a population of about 156,309. Median household income is $85,789 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 45.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, the top-earning graphic design-related role is Art Director at a median $99,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Graphic Design Schools to Lakewood

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

#1

Red Rocks Community College

Lakewood, CO 2.5 miles from Lakewood 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

#2

Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design

Lakewood, CO 3.9 miles from Lakewood 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

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


Graphic Design Wages Near Lakewood

Lakewood is part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (BLS area code 19740). 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$72,500Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$68,526
Art Director$99,990Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$94,509
Web and Digital Interface Designer$98,330Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$92,940
Special Effects Artist and Animator$91,290Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$86,285

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.


Lakewood at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population156,309Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$85,789Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+45.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)105.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lakewood-Area Cities With Graphic Design Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs near Lakewood. The closest is Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, CO (2.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Regis University (7.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying graphic design-related roles near Lakewood are: Art Director ($99,990), Web and Digital Interface Designer ($98,330), 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 Wheat Ridge instead of Lakewood?

Wheat Ridge, CO is 5.2 miles from Lakewood 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 Lakewood an affordable place to study graphic design?

Lakewood’s median household income of $85,789 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lakewood 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 Lakewood

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

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.