The Princeton Review's 2024 Rankings of Top Ugrad & Grad Schools for Game Design Are Now Out
NEW YORK, March 19, 2024 / — The Princeton Review®—the education services company known for its school rankings in dozens of categories—today reported its 15th annual ranking of undergraduate and graduate schools with the best programs in game design studies.
For the second year in a row, New York University ranked #1 on the undergraduate schools list, which names the top 50 schools. NYU's Game Design program is based at the university's Brooklyn campus.
On the graduate schools list, which names the top 25 schools, the University of Central Florida in Orlando earned the #1 spot—up from #2 on the list in 2023.
The top 10 schools on the undergraduate and graduate school lists are below, as well as #1 schools by region in seven regions. The complete lists are posted on The Princeton Review website at Top Game Design Schools for 2024.
The Princeton Review's game design school rankings are based on more than 40 data points derived from the company's 2023 survey of administrators at 150 schools offering game design courses and/or degrees. Most of the institutions are in the U.S., with two in Canada and four abroad.
The 50-question survey covered four areas: academics, faculty, technology, and career topics. Detailed information about the survey methodology and rankings criteria is here.
PC Gamer, a top online and print gaming publication, has been The Princeton Review's reporting partner on this project since 2013. The magazine's May issue, which lands on newsstands today, has a six-page feature on the project. Titled "The Best Game Design Programs Ranked by The Princeton Review 2024," it reports the two categories of ranking lists with interesting stats as well as fun facts about the schools’ graduates, faculty, and alumni. The feature also includes two articles on video game creation titled "Theorycrafting & Player Choice" and "Live Service Gaming & The Infinite Narrative."
The top 10 schools on the list "Top 50 Undergraduate Schools for Game Design" are:
- New York University (Brooklyn)
- University of Southern California (Los Angeles)
- Clark University (Worcester, MA)
- University of Utah (Salt Lake City)
- University of Central Florida (Orlando)
- Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY)
- DigiPen Institute of Technology (Redmond, WA)
- Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA)
- Michigan State University (East Lansing)
- Northeastern University (Boston, MA)
The top 10 schools on the list "Top 25 Graduate Schools for Game Design" are:
- University of Central Florida (Orlando)
- New York University (Brooklyn)
- University of Southern California (Los Angeles)
- University of Utah (Salt Lake City)
- Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX)
- Abertay University (Dundee, Scotland)
- Clark University (Worcester, MA)
- Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY)
- Northeastern University (Boston, MA)
- Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA)
The lists by region and the #1 undergraduate and graduate schools on them are:
International: Abertay University (Dundee, Scotland), Undergrad & Grad
Mid-Atlantic: Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA), Undergrad & Grad
Midwest: Michigan State University (East Lansing), Undergrad & Grad
Northeast: New York University (Brooklyn), Undergrad & Grad
South: University of Central Florida (Orlando), Undergrad & Grad
Southwest: The University of Texas at Dallas, Undergrad
Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX), Grad
West: University of Southern California (Los Angeles), Undergrad & Grad
"The schools that made our lists for 2024 have awesome game design programs," said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review's Editor-in-Chief. "Their faculties are superb. Their facilities are state-of-the-art, and their alumni include many of the industry’s most successful game designers, developers, and entrepreneurs. We recommend them highly to all students aspiring to a career in this exciting field.”
Franek noted the exceptional game design experience students gain at the schools. Based on data from The Princeton Review's 2023 survey for the rankings:
- Seventy-six percent of the students enrolled in game design programs at the undergraduate schools worked on a shipped game as part of their studies. At the graduate schools, that figure was 74%.
- Ninety-seven percent of the students enrolled in game design programs at the undergraduate schools developed an actionable plan to launch a functional game after graduation. At graduate schools, that figure was 96%.
- The average starting salary of students completing their game design studies with a bachelor's degree from the schools was $64,065. The average starting salary of students completing their game design studies with a master's degree from the schools was $73,947.
About The Princeton Review’s School Rankings The Princeton Review tallies school rankings in dozens of categories. In addition to the rankings for game design studies, the company reports rankings for entrepreneurship studies. Both projects are based on its surveys of school administrators. The Princeton Review's Best Colleges rankings in 50 categories and its law schools and MBA programs rankings in 14+ categories are based primarily on its surveys of students attending the schools. Students surveyed rate their schools on dozens of topics and report on their campus experiences at them. The company's rankings for its Best Value Colleges and Guide to Green Colleges projects are based on its surveys of administrators as well as its surveys of students at the schools.
About PC Gamer
Future's leading online and print gaming publication, PC Gamer is the global authority on PC games. Having covered PC gaming for more than 30 years, PC Gamer continues that legacy today with worldwide print editions and around-the-clock news, features, original reporting, buying guides, and reviews on pcgamer.com, as well as in its twice-annual PC Gaming Show broadcast event watched by more than 13 million viewers. Visit PC Gamer's staff page to see the international team behind these stories and events, and keep up on Steam, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
About The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admissions services company. Every year, it helps millions of college- and graduate school-bound students, as well as working professionals, achieve their education and career goals through its many education services and products. These include online and in-person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors; online resources; a line of more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House; and dozens of categories of school rankings. The company’s Tutor.com brand, now in its 24th year, is one of the largest online tutoring services in the U.S. It comprises a community of thousands of tutors who have delivered more than 26 million one-to-one tutoring sessions. The Princeton Review, headquartered in New York, NY, is not affiliated with Princeton University. For more information, visit PrincetonReview.com and the company’s Media Center. Follow the company on X (formerly Twitter) (@ThePrincetonRev) and Instagram (@theprincetonreview).
SOURCE: The Princeton Review
WEBSITE: www.princetonreview.com
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Contacts
The Princeton Review: Jeanne Krier, Publicist for The Princeton Review, pressoffice@review.com
PC Gamer / Future PLC: Nicole Martineau, PR Director, pr@futurenet.com
Note to Editors
Rob Franek, Editor-in-Chief, and David Soto, Senior Director, Data Operations at The Princeton Review, are available for interviews. Lists of ranked schools organized two ways (alphabetical by country/state/city/school and alphabetical by school) are at https://www.princetonreview.com/press/game-design-press-release-2024.
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List of Programs: Alpha by Country / State / City / School
BELGIUM
Kortrijk / Howest University of Applied Sciences (Undergraduate #27, Undergraduate International #5)
CANADA
Vancouver / LaSalle College Vancouver (Undergraduate #23, Undergraduate International #4)
Vancouver / Vancouver Film School (Undergraduate #13, Undergraduate International #2)
ENGLAND
Penryn / Falmouth University (Undergraduate #17, Undergraduate International #3; Graduate #14, Graduate International #2)
SCOTLAND
Dundee / Abertay University (Undergraduate #11, Undergraduate International #1; Graduate #6, Graduate International #1)
THE UNITED STATES
Arizona
Tempe / Arizona State University (Undergraduate #50, Undergraduate Southwest #4)
California
Burbank / New York Film Academy (Undergraduate #39, Undergraduate West #8)
Laguna Beach / Laguna College of Art and Design (Undergraduate #16, Undergraduate West #4; Graduate #18, Graduate West #4)
Los Angeles / University of Southern California (Undergraduate #2, Undergraduate West #1; Graduate #3, Graduate West #1)
Pasadena / ArtCenter College of Design (Undergraduate #37, Undergraduate West #7)
San Francisco / Academy of Art University (Undergraduate #33, Undergraduate West #6)
San Jose / University of Silicon Valley (Undergraduate #26, Undergraduate West #5)
Connecticut
Hamden / Quinnipiac University (Undergraduate #21, Undergraduate Northeast #7)
District of Columbia
Washington / American University (Graduate #22, Graduate Mid-Atlantic #2)
Florida
Coral Gables / University of Miami (Undergraduate #47, Undergraduate South #7; Graduate #25, Graduate South #5)
DeLand / Stetson University (Undergraduate #43, Undergraduate South #6)
Gainesville / University of Florida (Undergraduate #35, Undergraduate South #4; Graduate #24, Graduate South #4)
Orlando / University of Central Florida (Undergraduate #5, Undergraduate South #1)
Orlando / University of Central Florida (Graduate #1, Graduate South #1)
Sarasota / Ringling College of Art and Design (Undergraduate #40, Undergraduate South #5)
Winter Park / Full Sail University (Undergraduate #20, Undergraduate South #3; Graduate #17, Graduate South #3)
Georgia
Savannah / Savannah College of Art and Design (Undergraduate #15, Undergraduate South #2; Graduate #15, Graduate South #2)
Illinois
Chicago / DePaul University (Undergraduate #34, Undergraduate Midwest #7; Graduate #23, Graduate Midwest #4)
Peoria / Bradley University (Undergraduate #18, Undergraduate Midwest #2; Graduate #21, Graduate Midwest #3)
Indiana
Bloomington / Indiana University Bloomington (Undergraduate #46, Undergraduate Midwest #13)
West Lafayette / Purdue University (Undergraduate #30, Undergraduate Midwest #6)
Massachusetts
Boston / Northeastern University (Undergraduate #10, Undergraduate Northeast #4; Graduate #9, Graduate Northeast #4)
Worcester / Clark University (Undergraduate #3, Undergraduate Northeast #2; Graduate #7, Graduate Northeast #2)
Worcester / Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Undergraduate #14, Undergraduate Northeast #6; Graduate #16, Graduate Northeast #5)
Michigan
Big Rapids / Ferris State University (Undergraduate #42, Undergraduate Midwest #11)
Dearborn / University of Michigan-Dearborn (Undergraduate #38, Undergraduate Midwest #9)
East Lansing / Michigan State University (Undergraduate #9, Undergraduate Midwest #1; Graduate #11, Graduate Midwest #1)
New York
Brooklyn / New York University (Undergraduate #1, Undergraduate Northeast #1; Graduate #2, Graduate Northeast #1)
Ithaca / Cornell University (Undergraduate #45, Undergraduate Northeast #11)
Poughkeepsie / Marist College (Undergraduate #32, Undergraduate Northeast #10)
Rochester / Rochester Institute of Technology (Undergraduate #6, Undergraduate Northeast #3; Graduate #8, Graduate Northeast #3)
Troy / Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Undergraduate #24, Undergraduate Northeast #8; Graduate #20, Graduate Northeast #6)
North Carolina
High Point / High Point University (Undergraduate #48, Undergraduate South #8)
Ohio
Cleveland / Cleveland Institute of Art (Undergraduate #41, Undergraduate Midwest #10)
New Philadelphia / Kent State University (Undergraduate #44, Undergraduate Midwest #12)
Oxford / Miami University (Undergraduate #28, Undergraduate Midwest #4)
Portsmouth / Shawnee State University (Undergraduate #22, Undergraduate Midwest #3)
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia / Drexel University (Undergraduate #8, Undergraduate Mid-Atlantic #1; Graduate #10, Graduate Mid-Atlantic #1)
Rhode Island
East Greenwich / New England Institute of Technology (Undergraduate #25, Undergraduate Northeast #9)
South Dakota
Madison / Dakota State University (Undergraduate #36, Undergraduate Midwest #8)
Texas
Abilene / Abilene Christian University (Undergraduate #31, Undergraduate Southwest #2)
Dallas / Southern Methodist University (Graduate #5, Graduate Southwest #1)
Richardson / University of Texas at Dallas (Undergraduate #19, Undergraduate Southwest #1; Graduate #13, Graduate Southwest #2)
San Antonio / University of the Incarnate Word (Undergraduate #49, Undergraduate Southwest #3)
Utah
Salt Lake City / University of Utah (Undergraduate #4, Undergraduate West #2; Graduate #4, Graduate West #2)
Vermont
Burlington / Champlain College (Undergraduate #12, Undergraduate Northeast #5)
Washington
Redmond / DigiPen Institute of Technology (Undergraduate #7, Undergraduate West #3; Graduate #12, Graduate West #3)
Wisconsin
Menomonie / University of Wisconsin–Stout (Undergraduate #29, Undergraduate Midwest #5; Graduate #19, Graduate Midwest #2)
List of Programs: Alpha by School
- Abertay University / Dundee, Scotland (Undergraduate #11, Undergraduate International #1; Graduate #6, Graduate International #1)
- Abilene Christian University / Abilene, TX (Undergraduate #31, Undergraduate Southwest #2)
- Academy of Art University / San Francisco, CA (Undergraduate #33, Undergraduate West #6)
- American University / Washington, District of Columbia (Graduate #22, Graduate Mid-Atlantic #2)
- Arizona State University / Tempe, AZ (Undergraduate #50, Undergraduate Southwest #4)
- ArtCenter College of Design / Pasadena, CA (Undergraduate #37, Undergraduate West #7)
- Bradley University / Peoria, IL (Undergraduate #18, Undergraduate Midwest #2; Graduate #21, Graduate Midwest #3)
- Champlain College / Burlington, VT (Undergraduate #12, Undergraduate Northeast #5)
- Clark University / Worcester, MA (Undergraduate #3, Undergraduate Northeast #2; Graduate #7, Graduate Northeast #2)
- Cleveland Institute of Art / Cleveland, OH (Undergraduate #41, Undergraduate Midwest #10)
- Cornell University / Ithaca, NY (Undergraduate #45, Undergraduate Northeast #11)
- Dakota State University / Madison, SD (Undergraduate #36, Undergraduate Midwest #8)
- DePaul University / Chicago, IL (Undergraduate #34, Undergraduate Midwest #7; Graduate #23, Graduate Midwest #4)
- DigiPen Institute of Technology / Redmond, WA (Undergraduate #7, Undergraduate West #3; Graduate #12, Graduate West #3)
- Drexel University / Philadelphia, PA (Undergraduate #8, Undergraduate Mid-Atlantic #1; Graduate #10, Graduate Mid-Atlantic #1)
- Falmouth University / Penryn, United Kingdom (Undergraduate #17, Undergraduate International #3; Graduate #14, Graduate International #2)
- Ferris State University / Big Rapids, MI (Undergraduate #42, Undergraduate Midwest #11)
- Full Sail University / Winter Park, FL (Undergraduate #20, Undergraduate South #3; Graduate #17, Graduate South #3)
- High Point University / High Point, NC (Undergraduate #48, Undergraduate South #8)
- Howest University of Applied Sciences / Kortrijk, Belgium (Undergraduate #27, Undergraduate International #5)
- Indiana University Bloomington / Bloomington, IN (Undergraduate #46, Undergraduate Midwest #13)
- Kent State University / New Philadelphia, OH (Undergraduate #44, Undergraduate Midwest #12)
- Laguna College of Art and Design / Laguna Beach, CA (Undergraduate #16, Undergraduate West #4; Graduate #18, Graduate West #4)
- LaSalle College Vancouver / Vancouver, Canada (Undergraduate #23, Undergraduate International #4)
- Marist College / Poughkeepsie, NY (Undergraduate #32, Undergraduate Northeast #10)
- Miami University / Oxford, OH (Undergraduate #28, Undergraduate Midwest #4)
- Michigan State University / East Lansing, MI (Undergraduate #9, Undergraduate Midwest #1; Graduate #11, Graduate Midwest #1)
- New England Institute of Technology / East Greenwich, RI (Undergraduate #25, Undergraduate Northeast #9)
- New York Film Academy / Burbank, CA (Undergraduate #39, Undergraduate West #8)
- New York University / Brooklyn, NY (Undergraduate #1, Undergraduate Northeast #1; Graduate #2, Graduate Northeast #1)
- Northeastern University / Boston, MA (Undergraduate #10, Undergraduate Northeast #4; Graduate #9, Graduate Northeast #4)
- Purdue University / West Lafayette, IN (Undergraduate #30, Undergraduate Midwest #6)
- Quinnipiac University / Hamden, CT (Undergraduate #21, Undergraduate Northeast #7)
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute / Troy, NY (Undergraduate #24, Undergraduate Northeast #8; Graduate #20, Graduate Northeast #6)
- Ringling College of Art and Design / Sarasota, FL (Undergraduate #40, Undergraduate South #5)
- Rochester Institute of Technology / Rochester, NY (Undergraduate #6, Undergraduate Northeast #3; Graduate #8, Graduate Northeast #3)
- Savannah College of Art and Design / Savannah, GA (Undergraduate #15, Undergraduate South #2; Graduate #15, Graduate South #2)
- Shawnee State University / Portsmouth, OH (Undergraduate #22, Undergraduate Midwest #3)
- Southern Methodist University / Dallas, TX (Graduate #5, Graduate Southwest #1)
- Stetson University / DeLand, FL (Undergraduate #43, Undergraduate South #6)
- University of Central Florida / Orlando, FL (Undergraduate #5, Undergraduate South #1)
- University of Central Florida / Orlando, FL (Graduate #1, Graduate South #1)
- University of Florida / Gainesville, FL (Undergraduate #35, Undergraduate South #4; Graduate #24, Graduate South #4)
- University of Miami / Coral Gables, FL (Undergraduate #47, Undergraduate South #7; Graduate #25, Graduate South #5)
- University of Michigan-Dearborn / Dearborn, MI (Undergraduate #38, Undergraduate Midwest #9)
- University of Silicon Valley / San Jose, CA (Undergraduate #26, Undergraduate West #5)
- University of Southern California / Los Angeles, CA (Undergraduate #2, Undergraduate West #1; Graduate #3, Graduate West #1)
- University of Texas at Dallas / Richardson, TX (Undergraduate #19, Undergraduate Southwest #1; Graduate #13, Graduate Southwest #2)
- University of the Incarnate Word / San Antonio, TX (Undergraduate #49, Undergraduate Southwest #3)
- University of Utah / Salt Lake City, UT (Undergraduate #4, Undergraduate West #2; Graduate #4, Graduate West #2)
- University of Wisconsin–Stout / Menomonie, WI (Undergraduate #29, Undergraduate Midwest #5; Graduate #19, Graduate Midwest #2)
- Vancouver Film School / Vancouver, Canada (Undergraduate #13, Undergraduate International #2)
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute / Worcester, MA (Undergraduate #14, Undergraduate Northeast #6; Graduate #16, Graduate Northeast #5)
