South Carolina has no bachelor's game design programs of its own, and game design schools near South Carolina means crossing a state line. The nearest campus is High Point University (High Point, North Carolina), 217 miles from Charleston. Georgia has two public options, Kennesaw State University, plus Georgia State University. Because South Carolina belongs to the Academic Common Market, a Georgia program can cost less than you'd expect. Online degrees are the third route, and 13 are confirmed.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
0Game Design Bachelor's in South Carolinagame design, game programming or simulationIPEDS
5Ranked Programs in Nearby StatesGA and NCOur ranking
217 miTo the Closest Program From Charlestonstraight-line distanceOur analysis
Game Design Schools Near South Carolina in 60 Seconds
Top nearby pick: Kennesaw State University.South Carolina has no bachelor's game design program, so these are across the border. It scores 75.7. Kennesaw State University is in Georgia, with a $17,566 net price and 52% completion. Georgia State University in Georgia scores 75.1.Nearby Schools ›
Closest fit at home: Clemson University.It graduates bachelor's students in computer and information sciences. It awarded 178 bachelor's degrees in 2023-24, as a related program outside the game design ranking. University of South Carolina-Columbia is another option at home.Related Programs ›
Software developers earn $129,450 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 13,230 people work as software developers in South Carolina. In South Carolina, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $80,930, which is 22% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in South Carolina: BEA puts prices 6.3% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further.Pay ›
Public in-state tuition averages $11,287.The LIFE Scholarship is South Carolina's main state grant. Public colleges cost more here than in most states, with aided in-state students paying $16,536 on average across 14, against $13,240 in the median state. Out of state, tuition averages $26,140.Costs ›
Heads up South Carolina belongs to the Academic Common Market (ACM), which can cut nonresident tuition at public schools in member states.
No program in South Carolina
Game Design Schools Near South Carolina for 2027
Your shortest drive to a game design bachelor's starts in the Tar Heel state, which borders yours. High Point University (High Point) is 217 miles from Charleston and graduates 21 students a year. William Peace University (Raleigh) is 218 miles away and Greensboro College is 224 miles. North Carolina has three programs in all, and every one is private.
Georgia is farther but gives you public schools. Georgia State University (Atlanta) is 263 miles from Charleston, priced at $16,390 after aid, scoring 75.1. Kennesaw State University is 279 miles away, scores 75.6 and has a net price of $17,566. Both file their programs under game programming, so expect a computer science slant. Georgia State is the cheapest of the five nearby programs, and Georgia is a member of the Academic Common Market that South Carolina also belongs to.
Ranked by this site's score. Miles are straight-line distance from Charleston (Census Vintage 2024 largest city) to each campus (IPEDS coordinates). Completion and net price are school-wide IPEDS figures.
Kennesaw, GA · Public · Game programming program · 279 miles
75.7
#12 of 89 nationally
279 miles from Charleston
Largest program on this list
Technical track: game programming
Public
A South Carolina student is 279 miles from Kennesaw State if starting from Charleston, and would pay the out-of-state tuition of $16,488 rather than the $4,560 Georgia residents pay. The difference is $11,928 a year in published tuition, which is the main cost question for a student weighing this against a home-state school.
The program is the largest on this list, with about 43 graduates a year, and offers face-to-face, online and hybrid delivery. Students pick from five concentrations in a 120-credit Bachelor of Science in Computer Game Design and Development. The campus is suburban, and the school-wide net price for aided first-years is $17,566.
Admission across the university is 69%, with an SAT midpoint of 1110, and graduates of all majors earn $57,552 ten years after enrolling. The page also lists internships and co-ops among program benefits.
Atlanta, GA · Public · Game programming program · 263 miles
75.1
#18 of 89 nationally
263 miles from Charleston
Lowest net price on this list
Technical track: game programming
Public
South Carolina students will find Georgia State 263 miles from Charleston, in the middle of Atlanta. Of the programs on this list, it has the lowest net price: $16,390 for aided first-years school-wide. Out-of-state students pay $23,520 in published tuition, compared with $7,344 for Georgia residents.
The Bachelor of Arts in Game Design is a College of Arts & Sciences degree with about 17 graduates a year. The university enrolls 34,944 students, admits 55% of applicants, and sees 58% of students finish within eight years. Graduates of all majors earn $47,384 ten years out, a school-wide figure.
For a student from Charleston the cost question is straightforward: the nonresident tuition gap is $16,176 a year before aid, and the net price figure shows what aided first-years pay. The campus setting is a city.
Raleigh, NC · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 218 miles
60.1
#43 of 89 nationally
218 miles from Charleston
Private
Charleston is 218 miles from the Raleigh campus of William Peace University, a drive of about four hours for a South Carolina student. A Bachelor of Arts in Simulation and Game Design there prepares graduates for jobs such as multimedia artist, animator, software developer, UX designer and art director.
Out-of-state students pay the same $33,526 tuition as North Carolinians, since the university is private. School-wide, the cost of attendance before aid is $50,762, and aided first-years pay $24,503 net. With 722 students, the campus is small, and about 20 students a year finish the program.
The program's lab and classes emphasize aesthetics, technical skills and programming languages. Across the university, 46% of entering students complete within eight years, and 94% of applicants are admitted.
Greensboro, NC · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 224 miles
54.5
#55 of 89 nationally
224 miles from Charleston
Private
Charleston is 224 miles from Greensboro, so the move from South Carolina means a few hours on the road. Greensboro College is private, so tuition of $20,900 does not change for an out-of-state student, and the net price for aided first-years is $19,783 school-wide.
The Games & Interactive Media major offers tracks in storytelling, marketing, design, performance and game design and development. Students learn transmedia storytelling through books, music, voice acting and game communities, and they build portfolios through internships and capstone projects. The college enrolls 967 students, the admit rate is 70%, and about three students graduate from the program each year. Career paths named by the program include game journalist, quality assurance specialist and streamer, and 37% of entering students finish within eight years.
High Point, NC · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 217 miles
44.0
#76 of 89 nationally
217 miles from Charleston
Highest completion on this list
Private
For a South Carolina student, High Point University is an out-of-state private option, 217 miles from Charleston. Because it is private, the published $39,714 tuition does not change by residency, so leaving South Carolina carries no added surcharge there.
The Bachelor of Arts in Game Design is part of the university's communication school and totals 128 credits, mixing the major with a 36 to 44 credit core and electives. Study abroad is listed among the program's features. School-wide, the net price for aided first-years is $43,578 and 71% of entering students graduate within eight years. The university admits 75% of applicants and enrolls 6,331 students.
Summer research projects have included virtual reality simulations for the criminal justice department, and a game development club holds game jams. Ten-year earnings across all majors are $61,389, and 21 students a year complete the degree.
These are not game design degrees. South Carolina has no bachelor's in game design, game programming or simulation, but these programs in the state teach skills game studios hire for: programming in computer science and software, art and animation in the art programs. They're a way to stay in state and build toward game work.
Similar Bachelor's Programs in South Carolina
Bachelor's first majors reported to IPEDS (C2024_A) in computer science, software, animation, digital media and graphic design fields: the 5 most relevant to game work of 37 in South Carolina, computer science and software first, then digital media and animation, then graphic design, with graduates in 2023-24.
Game-adjacent jobs in South Carolina pay close to the national figure for programmers and noticeably less for designers. Software developers, the category that holds game programmers, have a state median of $129,450 against $135,980 nationally, a shortfall of $6,530. Computer programmers sit at $99,740, only $650 below the national median.
$47,230–$64,180$47k–$64k$47,230 to $64,180, May 2023May 2023
50May 2023
$102,030
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$57,170
$44,740–$72,530$45k–$73k$44,740 to $72,530
1,930
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$99,740
$76,940–$120,730$77k–$121k$76,940 to $120,730
790
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$87,990
$80,090–$129,040$80k–$129k$80,090 to $129,040
550
$114,850
Annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025. The middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile. Figures tagged May 2023 are from that earlier BLS release, because BLS didn't publish one for South Carolina in the current release.
Pay in South Carolina's Largest Metro Areas
Metro area
Software developers
Web and digital interface designers
Price level
Greenville-Anderson-Greer
$121,790
$75,280May 2024
93.3
Columbia
$123,380
$80,930
93.7
Charleston-North Charleston
$132,150
$96,190
101
Median annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025, for the state's largest metropolitan areas by total employment, all in South Carolina. Price level is BEA's Regional Price Parity for 2024, where the U.S. average is 100. Figures tagged May 2024 are from that earlier BLS release, because BLS didn't publish one for that metro area in the current release. A cell marked with a dash means BLS (or BEA, for price level) didn't publish a figure for that metro area, usually because too few employers reported.
The design and art side is where the gap opens. Game and UI designers are counted among interface designers, who have a median of $80,930, a shortfall of $23,070 against the national $104,000. Art directors earn $87,990, and graphic designers earn $57,170. BLS publishes no state figure for special effects artists and animators here, so there's no animator wage to quote.
Charleston is the metro to watch. Software developers there have a median of $132,150, computer programmers $107,770 and interface designers $96,190. Columbia pays developers $123,380 and Greenville pays $121,790. The state employs 13,230 software developers, 1,930 graphic designers, 800 interface designers and 790 programmers, so this is a developer market with a thin design bench.
Entry jobs run from QA tester to junior designer, UI artist or junior programmer, and many graduates begin on general software or web teams. Prices run about 6.3% below the national average (a state price level of 93.7), though Charleston itself sits at 101, so the biggest paychecks come with bigger rent.
About 13,230 people work as software developers in South Carolina. In South Carolina, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $80,930, which is 22% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in South Carolina: BEA puts prices 6.3% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further.
The game design salary pages explain what each occupation covers and how game studios fit inside it.
Cost in South Carolina
Paying for School in South Carolina
South Carolina has 14 public four-year colleges. A resident's tuition averages $11,287 against $26,140 for a nonresident, so being from out of state adds $14,853. After aid, in-state students pay $16,536 on average. None of these colleges is listed with a game design bachelor's, so use these numbers as the cost of staying home for a related degree.
Public colleges in SC
Figure
Public four-year colleges
14
Average in-state tuition
$11,287
Average out-of-state tuition
$26,140
Average net price, aided in-state students
$16,536
Means across South Carolina's public four-year degree-granting colleges that offer undergraduate study: tuition from IPEDS for 2023-24 (14 colleges reporting), net price for 2022-23 (13 reporting). Net price is what first-year students with grant aid paid after grants.
Public colleges cost more here than in most states, with aided in-state students paying $16,536 on average across 14, against $13,240 in the median state.
The LIFE Scholarship, a merit award tied to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, is the state aid to ask about. The Academic Common Market can matter more for game design, because it lets residents of member states pay in-state rates at out-of-state public programs that their home state doesn't offer. Georgia is listed as a member with public game programs nearby. Ask each program's admissions office whether its major is approved for South Carolina residents.
State Aid in South Carolina
South Carolina's main merit program for undergraduates is the LIFE Scholarship, run by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. In its own words: "The LIFE Scholarship may be used towards the cost of attendance for up to eight terms based on the student's initial college enrollment date." Fill out the FAFSA early, since many state programs award money until it runs out.
Tuition Exchanges
South Carolina belongs to the Academic Common Market (ACM). In the program's own words, "Many students qualify for in-state tuition to study at out-of-state institutions.." It also says: "Not all colleges participate, not all programs are offered, and not every offered program is available to students in all states."
How to Choose a Game Design Program If You Live in South Carolina
Start with the public versus private split. Both Georgia options are public, and both are programming-leaning, so they suit you if you want to write gameplay code. The three North Carolina programs are all private nonprofits, a game design program, so they suit you if you want design courses first. The net prices there run from $19,783 at Greensboro College to $43,578 at High Point University.
Weigh moving against staying. Georgia State University costs $16,390 after aid and is 263 miles from Charleston. That is close to what an in-state public college costs here, so a move to Atlanta may add little to your tuition bill if the exchange covers you. High Point University sends out 21 graduates a year and retains 71% of students, the best retention among the North Carolina options, but its $43,578 net price is steep.
If you can't move, build the skills at home and add the portfolio yourself. A computer science or art degree from a South Carolina public college, plus game jams and a finished project, is a workable route into junior programming or UI work. Keep in mind that completion rate and net price are school-wide figures, not the program's own.
Neighboring States
Neighboring stateNorth Carolina3 ranked game bachelor's · 14 programs in allView the North Carolina guide ›
Neighboring stateGeorgia2 ranked game bachelor's · 6 programs in allView the Georgia guide ›
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Are There Game Design Schools in South Carolina?
South Carolina has no bachelor's game design program in the federal data, so the closest ranked options are in neighboring states. Kennesaw State University in Georgia scores highest at 75.7, 279 miles from Charleston, with 52% completion and a $17,566 net price. Georgia State University in Georgia is next at 75.1. South Carolina belongs to the Academic Common Market (ACM), which can cut nonresident tuition at public colleges in member states, though each college picks which programs take part. See the nearby programs, ranked.
What Does a Game Developer Earn in South Carolina?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $129,450 in South Carolina, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). In South Carolina, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $80,930, which is 22% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in South Carolina: BEA puts prices 6.3% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further. About 13,230 people work as software developers in South Carolina. See what game jobs pay in South Carolina.
What Is the Cheapest Game Design Program Near South Carolina?
The lowest-priced ranked option for South Carolina students is Georgia State University in Georgia, at an average net price of $16,390 a year for aided first-year students. The catch is completion: 58% of its students finish, under the 59% median, and a program you don't finish costs more than its sticker. Public in-state tuition in South Carolina averages $11,287, if a related program at home fits. See paying for school in South Carolina.
Can I Get In-State Tuition at a Georgia Game Program?
Yes, through the Academic Common Market (ACM): South Carolina is a member, and in the exchange's own words, "Many students qualify for in-state tuition to study at out-of-state institutions.." It also says: "Not all colleges participate, not all programs are offered, and not every offered program is available to students in all states." Each college decides which programs and how many seats take part, so check the specific game program before you count on a discount. For comparison, out-of-state tuition at South Carolina's own public colleges averages $26,140 against $11,287 in state. See paying for school in South Carolina.
How Much More Do Out-of-State Students Pay in South Carolina?
Out-of-state students pay about $14,853 more a year in tuition at South Carolina's public four-year colleges, where in-state tuition averages $11,287 against $26,140 for nonresidents (IPEDS 2023-24). After grants, aided in-state students pay an average net price of $16,536. South Carolina belongs to the Academic Common Market (ACM), which can cut nonresident tuition at public colleges in member states, though each college picks which programs take part. See paying for school in South Carolina.
2NCES, IPEDS Outcome Measures 2023 The completion factor: the share of all entering students, full-time, part-time and transfer, who earned an award within eight years. School-wide.
