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Video Game Designer Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a video game designer. Video game designers usually study photography, computer science, or graphic design. 74% of video game designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 123 real video game designer resumes to see exactly what video game designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for video game designers are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online video game designer courses to help get the education required to be a video game designer.
What education do you need to become a video game designer?
What degree do you need to be a video game designer?
- Bachelor's, 74%
- Associate, 12%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a video game designer?
- Photography, 14%
- Computer Science, 14%
- Graphic Design, 12%
- Communication, 9%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for video game designers
Video Game Designer Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 11.54% |
| California State University - Fullerton | 7.69% |
| American University | 7.69% |
| New York Institute of Technology | 7.69% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.69% |
Best majors for video game designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photography | 13.5% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 13.5% |
| 3 | Graphic Design | 12.2% |
| 4 | Communication | 9.5% |
| 5 | Electrical Engineering | 6.8% |
Best colleges for video game designers
The best colleges for video game designers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
A video game designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for video game designers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become video game designers.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for video game designers
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2. Game Writing: Storytelling through Video Game Design
Write and design your own games; develop ideas, character and plot to create a compelling storyworld. (Made with Unity)...
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6. Pixel art for Video games
The essential course for creating stunning pixel art graphics for video-games or stylish illustrations and designs...
7. Substance Designer Basics: Create a Video Game Material
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8. Harness the Power of Play: The 5 steps of Game Design
Learn how Game Design and Gamification methods are used to change human behavior. The Game Beyond...
9. Learn the ART of Video Games
Learn to create game environments. Draw concept art, create 3D models, texture in Substance Painter and build in Unity...
10. Unreal Engine: Intro to Game Design
Like Fortnite? Master the tools used to build it as we build a simple shooting gallery game using the Unreal Engine!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for video game designers
The most affordable schools for video game designers are California State University - Long Beach, hunter college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.
If the best universities for video game designers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for video game designers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Cost of Attendance
18,306
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,182
Cost of Attendance
13,998
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Cost of Attendance
21,034
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,338
Cost of Attendance
14,281
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for video game designers
The hardest universities for video game designers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for video game designers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for video game designers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
4%
SAT Average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,508
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
5%
SAT Average
1,520
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
17%
SAT Average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for video game designers
The easiest schools for video game designers to get into are Barry University, notre dame de namur university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a video game designer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for video game designers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,006
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
82%
SAT Average
983
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions Rate
86%
SAT Average
991
4. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions Rate
71%
SAT Average
1,035
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
1,003
Average video game designer salary by education level
| Video Game Designer education level | Video Game Designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $121,628 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $103,165 |
| Doctorate Degree | $122,676 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $78,852 |
Video Game Designer Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025