Best Online Graphic Design Programs in Athens, GA (2026)

Athens, Georgia has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs. Athens has a population of about 137,582. In Georgia, the top-earning graphic design-related role is Art Director at a median $110,430 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Graphic Design Schools to Athens

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

#1

Athens Technical College

Athens, GA 3.1 miles from Athens BOC Score 54.3
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,951
Avg net price $6,949/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 87

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Graphic Design Wages Near Athens

Athens is part of the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area (BLS area code 12020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Georgia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Graphic Designer$47,750Athens-Clarke County, GA$51,179
Art Director$110,430GA statewide$118,360
Web and Digital Interface Designer$52,360Athens-Clarke County, GA$56,120
Special Effects Artist and Animator$81,390GA statewide$87,235

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.


Athens at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Athens-Area Cities With Graphic Design Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited graphic design schools are near Athens, GA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs near Athens. The closest is University of Georgia in Athens, GA (0.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Gwinnett Technical College (40.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying graphic design-related roles near Athens are: Art Director ($110,430), Special Effects Artist and Animator ($81,390), Web and Digital Interface Designer ($52,360). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Georgia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Winder instead of Athens?

Winder, GA is 20.4 miles from Athens 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.

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 Athens

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

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.