Game Design Schools in California

Listings in California show where the institution (or its administering campus) is located.

19 programs

Sort:Game design first A–Z Deadline Tuition per credit Recently verified

Game design and game development degrees first, then related fields (programming, art, interactive media, game studies); alphabetical by school within each group. Not a ranking. What we list

Academy of Art University

Game Design

Bachelor'sBFAFirst-year entry

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Design

Game Design

San Francisco, CAInstitution location, not a residency requirement

Online (on-site requirements not stated)

Campus attendance not verified

Portfolio not required (stated)

Duration not verified · 120 credits

Tuition: $1,682 per credit · International — Undergraduate, international students, per unit (Fall 2026-Summer 2027) · 2026-2027

January 25, 2027 · Spring 2027

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University of California-Irvine

Game Design and Interactive Media

Bachelor'sBSFirst-year entryTransfer entry

Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Interactive Media

Game Design · Game-focused Interactive Media

Irvine, CA

On campus

Regular campus attendance

Portfolio policy not published

minimum three years for transfer students (Applies to transfer applicants, because several lower-division courses must be taken at UCI.)

Tuition: $20,105.05 per academic year · In-state — Undergraduate, Total California Resident (Fall 2026, Winter 2027, Spring 2027) · 2026-2027

No upcoming verified deadline

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University of California-Santa Cruz

Computer Science: Computer Game Design

Bachelor'sBSFirst-year entryTransfer entry

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science: Computer Game Design

Game Design · Game Programming

Santa Cruz, CA

On campus

Regular campus attendance

Portfolio policy not published

Duration not verified

Tuition: $17,439 per academic year · In-state — Undergraduate entering students, tuition and fees (estimate), Fall, Winter and Spring · 2026-2027

No upcoming verified deadline

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University of Silicon Valley

Game Design

Bachelor'sBAFirst-year entryTransfer entry

Bachelor of Arts in Game Design

Game Design

San Jose, CAInstitution location, not a residency requirement

Fully online (verified)

No required physical attendance (verified)

Portfolio not required (stated)

Duration not verified

Tuition: $674 per credit · All students — Undergraduate, online, per credit

No upcoming verified deadline

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University of Southern California

Game Design and Development

Master'sMS

Master of Science in Game Design and Development

Game Design · Game Development

Los Angeles, CA

On campus

Regular campus attendance

Portfolio required

two-year intensive program · 38 credits

Tuition: $2,700 per credit · All students — School of Cinematic Arts graduate tuition per unit · 2026-2027

No upcoming verified deadline

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Academy of Art University

Game Development

Master'sMA

Master of Arts in Game Development

Game Development

San Francisco, CAInstitution location, not a residency requirement

Online (on-site requirements not stated)

Campus attendance not verified

Portfolio required

Duration not verified · 36 credits

Tuition: $1,857 per credit · International — Graduate, international students, per unit (Fall 2026-Summer 2027) · 2026-2027

January 25, 2027 · Spring 2027

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Academy of Art University

Game Development

Master'sMFA

Master of Fine Arts in Game Development

Game Development

San Francisco, CAInstitution location, not a residency requirement

Online (on-site requirements not stated)

Campus attendance not verified

Portfolio required

Duration not verified · 63 credits

Tuition: $1,857 per credit · International — Graduate, international students, per unit (Fall 2026-Summer 2027) · 2026-2027

January 25, 2027 · Spring 2027

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California State University-Chico

Computer Animation and Game Development

Bachelor'sBSFirst-year entry

Bachelor of Science in Computer Animation and Game Development

Game Development · Game Art

Chico, CA

On campus

Regular campus attendance

Portfolio policy not published

Duration not verified · 120 credits

Tuition: $6,838 per academic year · In-state — Undergraduate tuition, California resident, full-time (estimated standard budget) · 2026-2027

No upcoming verified deadline

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Laguna College of Art and Design

Game Development

Bachelor'sBFAFirst-year entryTransfer entry

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Development

Game Development · Game Art

Laguna Beach, CA

On campus

Regular campus attendance

Portfolio required

four-year curriculum · 120 credits

Tuition: $1,775 per credit · All students — BFA part-time enrollment, per unit · 2027-2028

Rolling admission (as published)

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University of Southern California

Game Development and Interactive Design

Bachelor'sBFAFirst-year entryTransfer entry

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Development and Interaction Design

Game Development · Game Design

Los Angeles, CA

On campus

Regular campus attendance

Portfolio required

four-year program

Tuition: $75,384 per academic year · All students — Undergraduate tuition, 12-18 units for two semesters · 2026-2027

No upcoming verified deadline

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Academy of Art University

Game Art

Bachelor'sBFAFirst-year entry

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Art

Game Art

San Francisco, CAInstitution location, not a residency requirement

Online (on-site requirements not stated)

Campus attendance not verified

Portfolio not required (stated)

Duration not verified · 120 credits

Tuition: $1,682 per credit · International — Undergraduate, international students, per unit (Fall 2026-Summer 2027) · 2026-2027

January 25, 2027 · Spring 2027

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Academy of Art University

Game Programming

Bachelor'sBSFirst-year entry

Bachelor of Science in Game Programming

Game Programming

San Francisco, CAInstitution location, not a residency requirement

Online (on-site requirements not stated)

Campus attendance not verified

Portfolio not required (stated)

Duration not verified · 120 credits

Tuition: $1,682 per credit · International — Undergraduate, international students, per unit (Fall 2026-Summer 2027) · 2026-2027

January 25, 2027 · Spring 2027

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University of California-Santa Cruz

Art & Design: Games + Playable Media

Bachelor'sBAFirst-year entryTransfer entry

Bachelor of Arts in Art & Design: Games + Playable Media

Game-focused Interactive Media · Game Design

Santa Cruz, CA

On campus

Regular campus attendance

Portfolio policy not published

Duration not verified

Tuition: $17,439 per academic year · In-state — Undergraduate entering students, tuition and fees (estimate), Fall, Winter and Spring · 2026-2027

No upcoming verified deadline

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University of Silicon Valley

Game Art

Bachelor'sBAFirst-year entryTransfer entry

Bachelor of Arts in Game Art

Game Art

San Jose, CAInstitution location, not a residency requirement

Fully online (verified)

No required physical attendance (verified)

Portfolio not required (stated)

Duration not verified

Tuition: $674 per credit · All students — Undergraduate, online, per credit

No upcoming verified deadline

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University of Silicon Valley

Game Engineering

Bachelor'sBSFirst-year entryTransfer entry

Bachelor of Science in Game Engineering

Game Programming · Game Development

San Jose, CAInstitution location, not a residency requirement

Fully online (verified)

No required physical attendance (verified)

Portfolio not required (stated)

Duration not verified

Tuition: $674 per credit · All students — Undergraduate, online, per credit

No upcoming verified deadline

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University of Southern California

Computer Science (Games)

Bachelor'sBS

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (Games)

Game Programming

Los Angeles, CA

On campus

Regular campus attendance

Portfolio policy not published

Duration not verified · 128 credits

Tuition: $75,384 per academic year · All students — Undergraduate tuition, 12-18 units for two semesters · 2026-2027

No upcoming verified deadline

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University of Southern California

Game Art

Bachelor'sBFAFirst-year entryTransfer entry

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Art

Game Art

Los Angeles, CA

On campus

Regular campus attendance

Portfolio required

four-year program

Tuition: $75,384 per academic year · All students — Undergraduate tuition, 12-18 units for two semesters · 2026-2027

No upcoming verified deadline

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University of Southern California

Interactive Media & Games

Master'sMFA

Master of Fine Arts in Interactive Media

Game-focused Interactive Media

Los Angeles, CA

On campus

Regular campus attendance

Portfolio required

three year program

Tuition: $2,700 per credit · All students — School of Cinematic Arts graduate tuition per unit · 2026-2027

No upcoming verified deadline

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University of Southern California

Computer Science (Game Development)

Master'sMSNamed concentration

Master of Science in Computer Science (Game Development)

Concentration in Master of Science in Computer Science — Game Development

Game Programming · Game Development

Los Angeles, CA

On campus

Regular campus attendance

Portfolio policy not published

Duration not verified · 32 credits

Tuition not verified

No upcoming verified deadline

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School or program keyword

Degree & field

Degree level

Exact award

Field of study

Dedicated degree or concentration

Bachelor's entry route

Degree-completion programs require prior credits; they are never first-year entry.

Location & institution

City (optional)

Where the institution is based — not where you must live, and not proof that residents of that state may enroll online.

Institution type

Delivery & attendance

Delivery

Hybrid programs are never counted as online.

Campus attendance

Class schedule (online)

Study intensity

Published duration

Conditional minimums (“as few as…”) do not count as the program length.

Portfolio, cost & deadlines

Portfolio policy

“Not required” only when the school says so; silence is “not published”.

Published tuition

Matches only programs that publish tuition on that basis. Per-credit, per-year and whole-program figures are never compared.

Verified scholarships or assistantships

Published on an official page. Loans do not count.

Deadline

Order

Clear all

Unknown never counts as a match: a program without verified tuition is not “under $X”, and an unverified attendance policy is not “no campus attendance”.