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Game DesignSchools

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Find and Compare Game Design Schools

Explore game design degrees and related game development programs across the United States. Compare schools, online options, tuition, portfolios, and admissions.

141 verified programs at 58 colleges and universities in 27 states. Coverage is growing and is not complete.

Degree levels

Browse bachelor's, master's and PhD programs

Game Design Bachelor's DegreesBA, BS and BFA degrees — with first-year, transfer and degree-completion entry shown separately.109 programs · 56 schools Game Design Master's ProgramsMFA, MS, MA and other awards, studio and research oriented, with portfolio requirements by track.31 programs · 21 schools Game Design PhD ProgramsDedicated game doctorates and officially named game tracks only — not every PhD where games can be studied.1 program · 1 school

Online study

Explore Online Game Design Schools

37 online programs at 15 schools. “Online” is not one format: we show separately whether coursework is online, whether any campus visit, residency or exhibition is required, and what the school says about hardware and software. 8 of these programs state that no campus attendance is required; for the rest it is required or not stated.

Online Game Design Schools Online vs campus

Editorial selections

Top game design schools — researched, not scored

Unnumbered selections built from published criteria and verified program facts. Sponsorship never affects inclusion or order.

Top Game Design SchoolsCampus and online programs whose own curriculum, team projects, portfolio work and published facts meet our criteria.Rochester Institute of Technology logoCarnegie Mellon University logoMarist University logoWest Virginia University logoAmerican University logoUniversity of Wisconsin-Stout logo+18 more24 schools selected Top Online Game Design SchoolsJudged on the online pathway itself — curriculum, collaboration, attendance rules, hardware, support and tuition transparency.DigiPen Institute of Technology logoLindenwood University logoUniversity of Arizona logo+7 more13 schools selected

Fields of study

Game Design vs Game Development vs Game Art

Read the full comparison →
FieldWhat the degree centres onAwards you will seeAdmission note
Game Design68 programsHow a game plays: systems, rules, levels, narrative, prototyping and playtesting.BA, BS, BFA, MA, MFAPortfolio policies vary widely — some require one, many publish none.
Game Development48 programsBuilding and shipping games in teams: production, engines, pipelines and project work.BS, BA, BFA, MS, MFA, Master of Entertainment TechnologyGraduate programs often ask for a portfolio by track (art, design, engineering).
Game Art26 programs2D and 3D art for games: characters, environments, technical art and animation.BFA, BS, BAArt-school programs usually review a visual portfolio.

Location

Browse by state

All states →

From the directory

Selected verified programs

A sample of dedicated game design and game development degrees with well-documented facts, one per level. Not a recommendation.

Southern Methodist University logo

Southern Methodist University

Master of Interactive Technology

Master'sMIT

Master of Interactive Technology in Digital Game Development

Field: Game Development
Administering location: Dallas, TX
Delivery: On campusClasses meet on campus. · Full-time
Campus attendance: Regular campus attendance
Portfolio: Portfolio required
Duration: Two years (five semesters)
Tuition: Tuition: $14,992 per term · All students — MIT in Digital Game Development, GM36, full-time, Summer 2027 term · 2026-2027
Next deadline: Rolling admission (as published)
View program
DigiPen Institute of Technology logo

DigiPen Institute of Technology

BA in Game Design

Bachelor'sBAFirst-year entry

Bachelor of Arts in Game Design

Field: Game Design
Administering location: Redmond, WA
Delivery: On campusClasses meet on campus.
Campus attendance: Regular campus attendance
Portfolio: Portfolio required
Duration: eight semesters of 15 weeks each, or four academic years · 129 credits
Tuition: Tuition: $20,410 per semester · All students — Undergraduate (Full-Time), flat rate for 15-22 credits per semester · 2026-2027
Next deadline: November 9, 2026 · Spring 2027
View program

DePaul University

Game Design

Master'sMFA

Master of Fine Arts in Game Design

Field: Game Design
Administering location: Chicago, IL
Delivery: On campusClasses meet on campus.
Campus attendance: Regular campus attendance
Portfolio: Portfolio required
Duration: designed to be completed in 2.5 years, taking place over eight 10-week quarters · 64 credits
Tuition: Tuition: $1,003 per credit · All students — Graduate, Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media, per credit hour · 2026-2027
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program

Admissions

Portfolios and admissions

35 listed programs state that a portfolio is required. For 77 the school's pages we checked publish no portfolio policy — which is not the same as “no portfolio required”. Each profile shows the policy, format and official instructions when published.

Admissions and portfolios
Game Design Portfolio: What Schools Actually Ask ForWhich game degrees require, recommend or skip a portfolio, what pieces and formats schools request, and how to document design work, based on official admission pages.Do You Need Coding Skills for a Game Design Degree?Which game degrees expect programming or math before you start, which teach it from zero, and how much scripting design students meet in published curricula.BA vs BS vs BFA in Game Design: What the Degree Award Tells YouWhat a BA, BS, BFA or BAS in game design usually signals about general education, technical depth and studio work, with real credit structures and schools that offer more than one award.Choosing a Game Design Master's: MFA, MS, MA and Studio ProgramsHow to compare game design master's degrees by award, final project, track, portfolio, funding, pace and delivery, using requirements published by the programs themselves.

How listings are researched

Official sources, quoted and re-checked

  • Exact degree

    We confirm the official title and award on the school's own catalog or program page, and classify the discipline from that title.

  • Eligibility

    Dedicated game degrees and officially named game concentrations only. No certificates, bootcamps, esports or casino management.

  • Quoted facts

    Every fact carries the URL and a verbatim quote; a script re-fetches the page and publishes the fact only if the quote is found.

  • Accreditation

    Institutional accreditation comes from the U.S. Department of Education's DAPIP database, never from marketing copy.

Editorial methodologyData sources and verification

For schools

Reach future game designers

Listings are free and factual. Schools can add a missing program, correct a fact, or sponsor a clearly labelled placement on relevant degree-level, field and state pages. Sponsorship never buys an editorial position or a verified status.

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Bachelor's, master's and doctoral listings are directory pages, ordered with game design programs first — not rankings. Sponsorship disclosure