The ÂÜÀòÉÙÅ® Review's Top Schools to Study Game Design for 2026
New York University Ranked #1 on Both Undergraduate and Graduate School Lists
NEW YORK, March 24, 2026 /— The ÂÜÀòÉÙÅ® Review®—the education company known for its tutoring, test-prep services, and annual school rankings in dozens of categories—today issued its lists of the undergraduate and graduate Top Game Design Schools for 2026, a resource the company has researched and reported since 2009.
New York University earned the #1 spot on both ranking lists for 2026. It is #1 on the Top Undergraduate Schools for Game Design list (up from #2 in 2025) and #1 on the Top Graduate Schools for Game Design list (for the second consecutive year). NYU—which runs its undergraduate and graduate game design programs at its Brooklyn-based NYU Game Center—has been on one or both of the ranking lists annually since 2013.
The ÂÜÀòÉÙÅ® Review's top schools for game design lists are based on more than 40 data points derived from the company's annual survey of administrators at 150+ institutions offering game design courses and/or degrees. Most of the surveyed institutions are in the U.S. Some are in countries abroad. The 50-question survey covers four areas: academics, faculty, technology, and career topics. Information about the survey and the ranking list methodology is here.
For this project, The ÂÜÀòÉÙÅ® Review also identifies the top game design schools within regions: six in the U.S. (Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, South, Southwest, and West), and one International.
The top 10 schools on the undergraduate and graduate lists and the #1 schools on the seven regional lists are below. The complete ranking lists that name top 50 undergraduate and top 25 graduate schools for game design posted today at ÂÜÀòÉÙÅ®Review.com.
Top 10 schools on the list "Top 50 Undergraduate Schools for Game Design for 2026"
- New York University (Brooklyn, NY)
- University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
- University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL)
- Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY)
- Abertay University (Dundee, Scotland)
- DigiPen Institute of Technology (Redmond, WA)
- Clark University (Worcester, MA)
- University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT)
- Savannah College of Art and Design (Savannah, GA)
- Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI)
Top 10 schools on the list "Top 25 Graduate Schools for Game Design for 2026"
- New York University (Brooklyn, NY)
- University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL)
- University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
- Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY)
- University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT)
- Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX)
- Abertay University (Dundee, Scotland)
- Clark University (Worcester, MA)
- Savannah College of Art and Design (Savannah, GA)
- Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA)
By region: Top schools on the lists
Mid-Atlantic: Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA), #12 Undergrad, #10 Grad
Midwest: Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI), #10 Undergrad, #11 Grad
Northeast: New York University (Brooklyn, NY), #1 Undergrad, #1 Grad
South: University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL), #3 Undergrad, #2 Grad
Southwest: Abilene Christian University (Abilene, TX), #29 Undergrad
Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX), #6 Grad
West: University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA), #2 Undergrad, #3 Grad
International: Abertay University (Dundee, Scotland), #5 Undergrad, #7 Grad
Since 2013, PC Gamer, a top online and print gaming publication, has been The ÂÜÀòÉÙÅ® Review's reporting partner on this project. The magazine's May issue, which lands on newsstands today, features an eight-page article on the rankings. Titled "The Best Game Design Programs Ranked by The ÂÜÀòÉÙÅ® Review 2026," it provides information about each program including the mean salary of its graduates and names of distinguished faculty and alumni. The feature also includes two articles of interest for aspiring game designers, one titled "Programming believable AI characters" and the other "The art of map design."
"We highly recommend these schools to students considering a career in this exciting field," said Rob Franek, The ÂÜÀòÉÙÅ® Review's Editor-in-Chief. "Their programs in game design are awesome. Their faculties are outstanding. Their alumni include many of the industry’s most successful game designers, developers, and entrepreneurs, and their facilities are state-of-the-art."
Fascinating stats about the top schools for game design for 2026 and extraordinary experience their students have received
At the 50 undergraduate schools that made the 2026 lists, in 2025:
- 82% of their students worked on a shipped game as part of their studies
- 89% of their students developed an actionable plan to launch a functional game after graduation
- the average starting salary of their graduates with a bachelor's degree in game studies was almost $67,000.
At the 25 graduate schools that made the 2026 lists, in 2025:
- 88% of their students worked on a shipped game as part of their studies
- 93% of their students developed an actionable plan to launch a functional game after graduation
- the average starting salary of their graduates with a master's degree in game studies was almost $78,000.
About PC Gamer
Future's leading online and print gaming publication, PC Gamer is the global authority on PC games. Having covered PC gaming for more than 30 years, PC Gamer continues that legacy today with worldwide print editions and around-the-clock news, features, original reporting, buying guides, and reviews on pcgamer.com, as well as with its twice-annual PC Gaming Show broadcast event. Visit PC Gamer's staff page to see the international team behind these stories and events, and keep up on Steam, X, Facebook and YouTube.
About The ÂÜÀòÉÙÅ® Review
The ÂÜÀòÉÙÅ® Review is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admissions services company. Every year, it helps millions of college- and graduate school–bound students as well as working professionals achieve their education and career goals through its many education services and products. These include online and in-person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors; online resources; a line of more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House; and dozens of categories of school rankings. The company's Tutor.com brand, now in its 25 th year, is one of the largest online tutoring services in the U.S. It comprises a community of thousands of tutors who have delivered more than 28 million tutoring sessions. The ÂÜÀòÉÙÅ® Review, U.S.-owned and operated, is headquartered in New York, NY. The company is not affiliated with ÂÜÀòÉÙÅ® University. For more information, visit ÂÜÀòÉÙÅ®Review.com and the company’s Media Center. Follow the company on Instagram (@theprincetonreview), LinkedIn (the-princeton-review), YouTube (@TheÂÜÀòÉÙÅ®Review), and TikTok (@princeton.review).
SOURCE
The ÂÜÀòÉÙÅ® Review
CONTACTS
The ÂÜÀòÉÙÅ® Review: Jeanne Krier, Media Relations Director, pressoffice@review.com
PC Gamer / Future PLC: Nicole Martineau, PR Director, pr@futurenet.com
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NOTE TO EDITORS
Rob Franek , Editor-in-Chief, and David Soto, Senior Director, Data Operations at The ÂÜÀòÉÙÅ® Review, are available for interviews on this project. The ranking lists for 2026, organized two ways (alphabetical by school and alphabetical by country/state/city/school), are at the end of this release in the company's Media Center at /press/game-design-press-release-2026.
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List of Programs: Alpha by Country / State / City / School
Belgium
- Kortrijk / Howest University of Applied Sciences (Undergraduate #26, Undergraduate International #4)
Canada
British Columbia
- Vancouver / LaSalle College Vancouver (Undergraduate #33, Undergraduate International #5)
- Vancouver / Vancouver Film School (Undergraduate #20, Undergraduate International #3)
England
Cornwall
- Penryn / Falmouth University (Graduate #15, Graduate International #2, Undergraduate #16, Undergraduate International #2)
Scotland
Angus
- Dundee / Abertay University (Graduate #7, Graduate International #1, Undergraduate #5, Undergraduate International #1)
United States
Arizona
- Flagstaff / Northern Arizona University (Undergraduate #36, Undergraduate Southwest #2)
California
- Burbank / New York Film Academy (Graduate #25, Graduate West #4, Undergraduate #50, Undergraduate West #8)
- Irvine / University of California, Irvine (Undergraduate #32, Undergraduate West #5)
- Los Angeles / University of Southern California (Graduate #3, Graduate West #1, Undergraduate #2, Undergraduate West #1)
- Pasadena / ArtCenter College of Design (Undergraduate #46, Undergraduate West #7)
- San Francisco / Academy of Art University (Undergraduate #34, Undergraduate West #6)
- Santa Barbara / University of California, Santa Barbara (Undergraduate #28, Undergraduate West #4)
Connecticut
- Hamden / Quinnipiac University (Undergraduate #21, Undergraduate Northeast #7)
District Of Columbia
- Washinton / American University (Graduate #24, Graduate Mid-Atlantic #3)
Florida
- Coral Gables / University of Miami (Undergraduate #35, Undergraduate South #5)
- DeLand / Stetson University (Undergraduate #41, Undergraduate South #6)
- Gainesville / University of Florida (Graduate #16, Graduate South #3, Undergraduate #18, Undergraduate South #3)
- Orlando / University of Central Florida (Graduate #2, Graduate South #1, Undergraduate #3, Undergraduate South #1)
- Winter Park / Full Sail University (Graduate #17, Graduate South #4, Undergraduate #19, Undergraduate South #4)
Georgia
- Savannah / Savannah College of Art and Design (Graduate #9, Graduate South #2, Undergraduate #9, Undergraduate South #2)
Illinois
- Chicago / DePaul University (Graduate #18, Graduate Midwest #2, Undergraduate #25, Undergraduate Midwest #6)
- Peoria / Bradley University (Graduate #19, Graduate Midwest #3, Undergraduate #23, Undergraduate Midwest #4)
Indiana
- Bloomington / Indiana University Bloomington (Undergraduate #44, Undergraduate Midwest #11)
- West Lafayette / Purdue University (Graduate #20, Graduate Midwest #4, Undergraduate #15, Undergraduate Midwest #2)
Louisiana
- Baton Rouge / Louisiana State University (Undergraduate #47, Undergraduate South #7)
Massachusetts
- Boston / Northeastern University (Graduate #13, Graduate Northeast #4, Undergraduate #14, Undergraduate Northeast #6)
- Dartmouth / University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (Undergraduate #45, Undergraduate Northeast #13)
- Worcester / Clark University (Graduate #8, Graduate Northeast #3, Undergraduate #7, Undergraduate Northeast #3)
- Worcester / Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Graduate #14, Graduate Northeast #5, Undergraduate #13, Undergraduate Northeast #5)
Michigan
- Dearborn / University of Michigan-Dearborn (Undergraduate #38, Undergraduate Midwest #9)
- East Lansing / Michigan State University (Graduate #11, Graduate Midwest #1, Undergraduate #10, Undergraduate Midwest #1)
New Jersey
- Bloomfield / Bloomfield College of Montclair State University (Undergraduate #43, Undergraduate Northeast #12)
- Newark / New Jersey Institute of Technology (Undergraduate #39, Undergraduate Northeast #11)
New York
- Brooklyn / New York University (Graduate #1, Graduate Northeast #1, Undergraduate #1, Undergraduate Northeast #1)
- Poughkeepsie / Marist University (Undergraduate #31, Undergraduate Northeast #10)
- Rochester / Rochester Institute of Technology (Graduate #4, Graduate Northeast #2, Undergraduate #4, Undergraduate Northeast #2)
- Troy / Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Graduate #22, Graduate Northeast #6, Undergraduate #27, Undergraduate Northeast #9)
Ohio
- CLEVELAND / Cleveland Institute of Art (Undergraduate #49, Undergraduate Midwest #12)
- New Philadelphia / Kent State University (Undergraduate #30, Undergraduate Midwest #7)
- Oxford / Miami University (Undergraduate #24, Undergraduate Midwest #5)
- Portsmouth / Shawnee State University (Undergraduate #17, Undergraduate Midwest #3)
Oklahoma
- Edmond / Oklahoma Christian University (Undergraduate #42, Undergraduate Southwest #3)
- Oklahoma City / Oklahoma City University (Undergraduate #48, Undergraduate Southwest #4)
Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia / Drexel University (Graduate #10, Graduate Mid-Atlantic #1, Undergraduate #12, Undergraduate Mid-Atlantic #1)
- Pittsburgh / Carnegie Mellon University (Graduate #21, Graduate Mid-Atlantic #2)
Rhode Island
- East Greenwich / New England Institute of Technology (Undergraduate #22, Undergraduate Northeast #8)
South Dakota
- Madison / Dakota State University (Undergraduate #37, Undergraduate Midwest #8)
Texas
- Abilene / Abilene Christian University (Undergraduate #29, Undergraduate Southwest #1)
- Dallas / Southern Methodist University (Graduate #6, Graduate Southwest #1)
Utah
- Salt Lake City / University of Utah (Graduate #5, Graduate West #2, Undergraduate #8, Undergraduate West #3)
Vermont
- Burlington / Champlain College (Undergraduate #11, Undergraduate Northeast #4)
Washington
- Redmond / DigiPen Institute of Technology (Graduate #12, Graduate West #3, Undergraduate #6, Undergraduate West #2)
Wisconsin
- Menomonie / University of Wisconsin–Stout (Graduate #23, Graduate Midwest #5, Undergraduate #40, Undergraduate Midwest #10)
List of Programs: Alpha by School
- Abertay University / Dundee, Angus, Scotland (Graduate #7, Graduate International #1, Undergraduate #5, Undergraduate International #1)
- Abilene Christian University / Abilene, Texas (Undergraduate #29, Undergraduate Southwest #1)
- Academy of Art University / San Francisco, California (Undergraduate #34, Undergraduate West #6)
- American University / Washinton, District Of Columbia (Graduate #24, Graduate Mid-Atlantic #3)
- ArtCenter College of Design / Pasadena, California (Undergraduate #46, Undergraduate West #7)
- Bloomfield College of Montclair State University / Bloomfield, New Jersey (Undergraduate #43, Undergraduate Northeast #12)
- Bradley University / Peoria, Illinois (Graduate #19, Graduate Midwest #3, Undergraduate #23, Undergraduate Midwest #4)
- Carnegie Mellon University / Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Graduate #21, Graduate Mid-Atlantic #2)
- Champlain College / Burlington, Vermont (Undergraduate #11, Undergraduate Northeast #4)
- Clark University / Worcester, Massachusetts (Graduate #8, Graduate Northeast #3, Undergraduate #7, Undergraduate Northeast #3)
- Cleveland Institute of Art / CLEVELAND, Ohio (Undergraduate #49, Undergraduate Midwest #12)
- Dakota State University / Madison, South Dakota (Undergraduate #37, Undergraduate Midwest #8)
- DePaul University / Chicago, Illinois (Graduate #18, Graduate Midwest #2, Undergraduate #25, Undergraduate Midwest #6)
- DigiPen Institute of Technology / Redmond, Washington (Graduate #12, Graduate West #3, Undergraduate #6, Undergraduate West #2)
- Drexel University / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Graduate #10, Graduate Mid-Atlantic #1, Undergraduate #12, Undergraduate Mid-Atlantic #1)
- Falmouth University / Penryn, Cornwall, England (Graduate #15, Graduate International #2, Undergraduate #16, Undergraduate International #2)
- Full Sail University / Winter Park, Florida (Graduate #17, Graduate South #4, Undergraduate #19, Undergraduate South #4)
- Howest University of Applied Sciences / Kortrijk, Belgium (Undergraduate #26, Undergraduate International #4)
- Indiana University Bloomington / Bloomington, Indiana (Undergraduate #44, Undergraduate Midwest #11)
- Kent State University / New Philadelphia, Ohio (Undergraduate #30, Undergraduate Midwest #7)
- LaSalle College Vancouver / Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Undergraduate #33, Undergraduate International #5)
- Louisiana State University / Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Undergraduate #47, Undergraduate South #7)
- Marist University / Poughkeepsie, New York (Undergraduate #31, Undergraduate Northeast #10)
- Miami University / Oxford, Ohio (Undergraduate #24, Undergraduate Midwest #5)
- Michigan State University / East Lansing, Michigan (Graduate #11, Graduate Midwest #1, Undergraduate #10, Undergraduate Midwest #1)
- New England Institute of Technology / East Greenwich, Rhode Island (Undergraduate #22, Undergraduate Northeast #8)
- New Jersey Institute of Technology / Newark, New Jersey (Undergraduate #39, Undergraduate Northeast #11)
- New York Film Academy / Burbank, California (Graduate #25, Graduate West #4, Undergraduate #50, Undergraduate West #8)
- New York University / Brooklyn, New York (Graduate #1, Graduate Northeast #1, Undergraduate #1, Undergraduate Northeast #1)
- Northeastern University / Boston, Massachusetts (Graduate #13, Graduate Northeast #4, Undergraduate #14, Undergraduate Northeast #6)
- Northern Arizona University / Flagstaff, Arizona (Undergraduate #36, Undergraduate Southwest #2)
- Oklahoma Christian University / Edmond, Oklahoma (Undergraduate #42, Undergraduate Southwest #3)
- Oklahoma City University / Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Undergraduate #48, Undergraduate Southwest #4)
- Purdue University / West Lafayette, Indiana (Graduate #20, Graduate Midwest #4, Undergraduate #15, Undergraduate Midwest #2)
- Quinnipiac University / Hamden, Connecticut (Undergraduate #21, Undergraduate Northeast #7)
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute / Troy, New York (Graduate #22, Graduate Northeast #6, Undergraduate #27, Undergraduate Northeast #9)
- Rochester Institute of Technology / Rochester, New York (Graduate #4, Graduate Northeast #2, Undergraduate #4, Undergraduate Northeast #2)
- Savannah College of Art and Design / Savannah, Georgia (Graduate #9, Graduate South #2, Undergraduate #9, Undergraduate South #2)
- Shawnee State University / Portsmouth, Ohio (Undergraduate #17, Undergraduate Midwest #3)
- Southern Methodist University / Dallas, Texas (Graduate #6, Graduate Southwest #1)
- Stetson University / DeLand, Florida (Undergraduate #41, Undergraduate South #6)
- University of California, Irvine / Irvine, California (Undergraduate #32, Undergraduate West #5)
- University of California, Santa Barbara / Santa Barbara, California (Undergraduate #28, Undergraduate West #4)
- University of Central Florida / Orlando, Florida (Graduate #2, Graduate South #1, Undergraduate #3, Undergraduate South #1)
- University of Florida / Gainesville, Florida (Graduate #16, Graduate South #3, Undergraduate #18, Undergraduate South #3)
- University of Massachusetts Dartmouth / Dartmouth, Massachusetts (Undergraduate #45, Undergraduate Northeast #13)
- University of Miami / Coral Gables, Florida (Undergraduate #35, Undergraduate South #5)
- University of Michigan-Dearborn / Dearborn, Michigan (Undergraduate #38, Undergraduate Midwest #9)
- University of Southern California / Los Angeles, California (Graduate #3, Graduate West #1, Undergraduate #2, Undergraduate West #1)
- University of Utah / Salt Lake City, Utah (Graduate #5, Graduate West #2, Undergraduate #8, Undergraduate West #3)
- University of Wisconsin–Stout / Menomonie, Wisconsin (Graduate #23, Graduate Midwest #5, Undergraduate #40, Undergraduate Midwest #10)
- Vancouver Film School / Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Undergraduate #20, Undergraduate International #3)
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute / Worcester, Massachusetts (Graduate #14, Graduate Northeast #5, Undergraduate #13, Undergraduate Northeast #5)
