Top 20 Game Design Schools and Colleges Offering Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree Programs - 2018 Rankings

Established in 1880, University of Southern California (USC) is home to 45,500 students enrolled in more than 200 undergraduate programs, 300-plus graduate programs, and more than 150 minors. The Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences’ Interactive Media & Games Division offers a BA in Interactive Entertainment. The school says students in the program study within a framework, which combines a broad liberal arts background with specialization in a profession.

Sample courses for the program include Game Development, Cinematic Communication, Game Design Workshop, Interactive Entertainment, Computer Programming, Sound Design for Games, Usability Testing for Games, Transmedia Entertainment, 3D Computer Animation, Advanced Game Development, Anatomy of a Game, Design and Technology for Mobile Experiences, Statistical Analysis for Games: Storytelling with Numbers, and Business and Management for Games.

In addition to a wide variety of courses, students in the BA in Interactive Entertainment have access to USC’s is home to the GamePipe Laboratory. Sponsored by Intel, Sony, and other technology companies, the Lab produces a "Demo Day," which allows students to showcase their work. The semiannual event attracts game industry reps, reporters, faculty, students, and hundreds of spectators from across the country.

Dornsife programs are offered in in conjunction with the School of Cinematic Arts.

The University of Utah (The U) was founded in 1850. Home to more than 31,000 students from across the U.S. and around the world, the school offers 100 undergraduate programs and more than 90 graduate programs across 17 colleges and schools, and nearly 100 departments. The School of Computing and Department of Film and Media Arts offer a BA in Film and Media Arts with an Emphasis in Entertainment Arts and Engineering (EAE). The school says that a key feature of the EAE emphasis is its interdisciplinary nature. Students from both CS and Film & Media Arts will take common classes throughout their undergraduate years, culminating in a yearlong senior project where teams of students from both disciplines will build an interactive media project including elements drawn from gaming and animation.

Sample courses for the program include Animation Techniques, Intro to Videogames, Alternative Game Development, 3D Modeling for Video Games & Machinima, Computer Science, Computer Animation, Object Oriented Programming, and Traditional Game Development.

The BA in Film and Media Arts with an EAE Emphasis prepares students to enter careers in game design and development, or for entry into the graduate game programs at The U or other universities.

Established in 1963 and home to more than 66,000 students across four campuses, the University of Central Florida (UCF) is the nation’s second-largest university. One of the nation’s youngest universities, UCF offers around 230 degree programs across 13 colleges. One of the school’s largest programs is game design.

The Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) is UCF’s graduate video game design school. The Academy opened its doors to “a select group of future game developers and creators” in August of 2005. Today, FIEA is home to dozens of students enrolled several game programs. BA options include a BA in Digital Media. Offered through both FIEA and the School of Visual Arts & Design (SVAD), the BA in Digital Media has a Specialization in Game Design.

In the Game Design Specialization, students learn about the history, culture, design, and implementation of video games and video game technologies, says the school. Students will complete courses where they build a series of smaller games throughout the semester, as well as courses focused on larger projects.

Sample courses for the program include Casual Game Production, Game Design, Digital Cultures and Narrative, Evolution of Video Games, Modeling for Realtime Systems, Digital Video Fundamentals, User-Centered Design, Fundamentals of Interactive Design, and Media Business Practices. Students will also engage in multiple workshops and take support courses such as AI for Game Programming, Writing for Video Games, and Video Games in Society.

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) was founded in 1978. With campuses in Savannah, Atlanta, Hong Kong, and Lacoste, France, SCAD is home to nearly 13,000 students from around 50 states and 115 countries. The school offers more than 40 majors and 60-plus minors, including a BA in Interactive Design and Game Development (IDGD).

Offered through the School of Digital Media, the BA consists of the SCAD Core—a series of foundation studies and general education courses, focused on developing critical thinking and communication skills; 15 hours of free electives, and two concentration options including Game Development or Interactive Design and Physical Computing.

Sample courses for the program include Programming, Interactive Design and Game Development Studio, Game Art, Game Tech, Visual Design for Interactive Media, Physical Computing, Interactive Web Design, Information Architecture, and Social Media Applications.

The BA is offered at the Savannah, Atlanta, and eLearning campuses.

Drexel University was established in 1891. It serves nearly 29,000 students enrolled in over 200 degree programs across 15 colleges and schools. The College of Computing & Informatics offers a BA in Computer Science (BACS) with a Concentration in Game Programming and Development (GMPD), Game Development and Design, or Artificial Intelligence.

The school says that the game concentrations provide conceptual understanding of game design and practical experience in the design and the development of games. Courses include Fundamentals of Game Design and Development, Large-Scale Game Development, and Special Topics in Educational and Experimental Game Design.

All students have access to Drexel Game Design (DGD) and the RePlay Lab. DGD and RePlay are collaborative efforts between the Digital Media program (in the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design) and the Computer Science department (in the College of Computing & Informatics).

Founded in 1919 as the Southern Branch of the University of California, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) is home to nearly 45,500 students from all 50 states and more than 100 foreign countries. The school offers 125+ undergraduate majors across 109 academic departments, and more than 40 graduate programs.

The School of Arts and Architecture is home to the Department of Design Media Arts (DMA), which offers a BA in Design Media Arts (BA DMA). The DMA program highlights game design study, interactivity and games, video and animation, visual communication, and more. With support from the School of Theater, Film, and Television, DMA also houses the UCLA Game Lab.

The primary function of the Lab is as “a research and production space for collaborative teams to pursue focused work on gaming projects.” It supports exploration of Game Aesthetics, Game Context, and Game Genres, while emphasizing the “conceptual risk-taking and development of new modes of expression and form through gaming.” In addition to producing games and research, the lab “functions as a center that develops public programming around critical issues in gaming, including: public lectures, workshops, exhibitions, a visiting artist program, and an annual public festival at the Hammer Museum.”

The University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) was established as a member of the University of Texas System in 1969. The school is home to around 37,650 students enrolled in more than 130 academic programs across seven schools. The School of Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication (ATEC) was created in 2015. It merged two long-running programs at UT Dallas: the program in Arts and Technology and the program in Emerging Media and Communication. ATEC serves more than 1,500 students, including 100 MA and MFA students and 40 doctoral students.

ATEC offers a BA in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication (BA ATEC). Undergraduates may choose between several pathways such as Game Design or Animation. BA ATEC students may also choose electives in more than one area.

Examples include User Experience Design for Games, Game Design, Interaction Design, Level Design, Modeling and Texturing, Virtual Environments, Rigging, Game Production Lab, Game Pipeline Methodologies, Serious Games, Game Production Lab, Interactive Narrative, and Educational Games.

Otis College of Art and Design (OTIS) was established in 1918 by founder and publisher of the Los Angeles Times, General Harrison Gray Otis. The school serves approximately 1,100 full-time students enrolled in 11 BFA degree programs ranging from Digital Media (Animation, Game and Entertainment Design, and Motion Design) to Toy Design. The school also offers MFA degrees in Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Public Practice, and Writing. A variety of minors and certificate programs are also available.

Offerings for aspiring game designers include a BA in Digital Media with a Game and Entertainment Design Emphasis and a Minor in Digital Media. The school says students in the Game and Entertainment Design Major develop their skills in concept art and visual development, learning the principles and processes involved in creating the first visual representations of characters, environments, and props for films and games.

Students will also acquire the skills to design the gameplay, environment, storyline, and characters of interactive games, apps, and websites. Using the most advanced CGI technologies, students acquire the techniques to create stunning visual effects for films, commercials, and videos, says the school. All OTIS students have access to nine labs and shops from audio/video to the model shop.

Miami University was founded in 1809. The school serves around 24,500 students across one main campus (Oxford, Ohio), three regional campuses in Hamilton, Middletown, and West Chester, Ohio, and the European Center in Luxembourg. Miami offers bachelor's degrees in over 120 areas of study and graduate students choose from more than 60 master's and doctoral degree programs. Several associate's degrees as well as bachelor's degrees are offered through study at the regional locations.

The school consists of seven colleges, including the College of Creative Arts, which houses the Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media Studies (AIMS). This cross-disciplinary institute works with students and faculty from across Miami University offering undergraduate, graduate certificate and graduate programs exploring the intersection of technology, design business and how digital technology is transforming traditional areas of inquiry, says the school.

Undergraduate degree options include a BA in Interactive Media Studies (IMS). IMS students have the option to enhance their degree with a Game Minor. Sample courses for the IMS program include Game Design, Game Development, Game Studies, Game Programming, Art and Interaction, Interactive Animation, Building Interactive Objects, Advanced 3D Visualization, The Design of Play, Narrative and Digital Technology, and Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington) was founded in 1820 as “State Seminary.” The Seminary became Indiana College in 1828 and Indiana University in 1838. Today, Indiana University is the largest and oldest Indiana University campus, serving 43,710 students with a record 583,745 credit hours. The school has more than 550 academic programs across 16 degree-granting colleges and schools, plus the Hutton Honors College.

The College of Arts and Sciences is home to The Media School. Here, students can earn a BA in Media with a Concentration in Interactive and Digital Media with a Specialization in Game Art, Game Audio, or Game Production. Students can supplement their program with a Certificate in New Media and Interactive Storytelling.

All students also have the opportunity to select 15 elective credits refine their career path. In addition, students may take Human Computer Interaction courses in the School of Informatics and Computing and study abroad courses such as Game Development: Programming and Practice, Rhetoric of Gaming, and Game Development Lab in Copenhagen, Denmark.