The top 50 best graduate game design programs
1. New York University
Faculty Has Studio Experience: 100%
All-Time Grads: 414
2018 Grads Shipped Game: 88%
2018 Grads Hired: 66%
2018 Grads Salary: $65,000
Fun Fact: Faculty are required to maintain an ongoing professional practice, releasing games, books, or organizing conferences.
2. Southern Methodist University
Faculty Has Studio Experience: 100%
All-Time Grads: 771
2018 Grads Shipped Game: 100%
2018 Grads Hired: 89%
2018 Grads Salary: $64,671
Fun Fact: The only masters game design program to include all four of the major specializations: Art creation, level design, production, and software development.
3. University of Southern California
Faculty Has Studio Experience: 63%
All-Time Grads: 383
2018 Grads Shipped Game: 100%
2018 Grads Hired: 78%
2018 Grads Salary: $65,000
Fun Fact: Partnering with Zynga and Jam City for a dedicated suite of mobile game design classes, plus mentoring from Zynga employees.
4. University of Utah
Faculty Has Studio Experience: 84%
All-Time Grads: 344
2018 Grads Shipped Game: 100%
2018 Grads Hired: 91%
2018 Grads Salary: $88,870
Fun Fact: Provides funding for students to attend the Game Developers Conference.
5. University of Central Florida
All-Time Grads: 675
2018 Grads Hired: 85%
Fun Fact: All FIEA students receive an Alienware computer so they can always keep class with them.
6. Digipen Institute of Technology
2018 Grads Hired: 65%
Total Courses: 391
7. Rochester Institute of Technology
2018 Grads Hired: 80%
2018 Grads Salary: $70.000
8. Michigan State University
2018 Female Grads: 50%
Faculty Has Studio Experience: 80%
9. Abertay University
2018 Grads Hired: 80%
Fun Fact: Home to Europe’s oldest degree program in game development.
10. Drexel University
2018 Grads Salary: $68,301
Fun Fact: Requires students to work 6-18 months of full-time experience in the industry.
11. Becker College
Faculty Has Studio Experience: 100%
Fun Fact: First graduating class is in 2020.
12. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
2018 Grads Salary: $71,644
Fun Fact: Provides $5,000 scholarships for international project center work trips in Japan and Australia.
13. Laguna College of Art and Design
2018 Female Grads: 43%
Faculty Has Studio Experience: 98%
14. Full Sail University
Total Courses: 126
Faculty Has Studio Experience: 83%
15. University of California, Santa Cruz
Faculty: Robin Hunicke (Journey, Wattam
2018 Grads Salary: 85,000
Alumni: Tim Schafer (Double Fine)
16. University of Wisconsin-Stout
2018 Grads Salary: $55,000
Fun Fact: Has semester to year-long exchange programs with game development programs in Sweden and Germany.
17. University of Malta
2018 Grads Hired: 66%
Faculty Has Studio Experience:100%
18. Northeastern University
Faculty Has Studio Experience: 91%
All-Time Grads: 20
19. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Alumni: Eren Egozy (Harmonix)
2018 Grads Salary: 87,812
20. DePaul University
Alumni: Mark Nauta (XCOM)
Faculty Has Studio Experience: 42%
21. The University of Texas at Dallas
22. Sacred Heart University
23. Savannah College of Art and Design
24. American University
25. University of Miami
