Best Online Graphic Design Programs in Houston, TX (2026)

Houston, Texas has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs, with tuition ranging from $2,490 to $21,293 per year for indexed programs. Houston has a population of about 2,300,419. Median household income is $62,894 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, the top-earning graphic design-related role is Web and Digital Interface Designer at a median $96,750 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Graphic Design Schools to Houston

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

#1

Houston Community College

Houston, TX 3.2 miles from Houston BOC Score 46.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 20%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,254
Avg net price $5,737/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 93

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Houston

Houston, TX 5.6 miles from Houston BOC Score 73.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,377
Avg net price $14,276/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Houston Christian University

Houston, TX 9.7 miles from Houston BOC Score 47.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,933
Avg net price $20,629/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Graphic Design Wages Near Houston

Houston is part of the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area (BLS area code 26420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Graphic Designer$58,400Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$59,229
Art Director$91,570Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$92,870
Web and Digital Interface Designer$96,750Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$98,124
Special Effects Artist and Animator$77,690Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$78,793

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.


Houston at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population2,300,419Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$62,894Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+36.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)98.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Houston-Area Cities With Graphic Design Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited graphic design schools are near Houston, TX?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs near Houston. The closest is Houston Community College in Houston, TX (3.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lee College (25.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying graphic design-related roles near Houston are: Web and Digital Interface Designer ($96,750), Art Director ($91,570), Special Effects Artist and Animator ($77,690). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Pearland instead of Houston?

Pearland, TX is 16.4 miles from Houston 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 Houston an affordable place to study graphic design?

Houston’s median household income of $62,894 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Houston while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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 Houston

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

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.