The best game design programs, ranked by the Princeton Review 2023
Whether you’re taking your first steps or refining your skills, there’s a game design program for anyone. Check out the 50 best undergraduate and 25 best graduate programs out there.
It can be a challenge picking a university. Whether it’s Balamb Garden, the College of Winterhold, or the Academy at Raya Lucaria, prospective students in videogames these days are spoiled for choice (just mind the ghosts and evil sorcerers). And while we, as lowly meat-based lifeforms, can’t attend these prestigious institutions, we can certainly go to school to learn how to design and create them. If you’re looking to pursue a career in game design, or are just curious about how it works, we’ve got you covered.
Every year, the Princeton Review ranks the 50 best undergraduate and 25 best graduate programs for videogame design. Rated on a thorough set of criteria from graduate employment percentage to facilities and faculty quality, these rankings are an excellent starting point for students to figure out the next step toward their dream career.
We’ve also included some thought-provoking ‘homework’ projects to get your game design brain working, based on real challenges that designers face. We also take a look at how narrative design is used to weave the complex stories of today’s games with their systems, and how user interface design is used to let players seamlessly interact with game worlds.
Want to know more? Check out The Princeton Review’s website for further information on game design programs: princetonreview.com/game-design
2022 Grads Hired: 72%2022 Grads Mean Salary: $67,500 Faculty: Eric Zimmerman (founder, GameLab), Mitu Khandaker (CEO, Glow Up Games)Graduates: Robert Meyer (God of War: Ragnarok), Noelle Mazurek (Diablo IV)
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