The Princeton Review's 2022 Rankings of Top Undergrad & Grad Schools for Game Design Are Now Out

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Mar 22, 2022, 09:00 ET

#1 Undergrad School: University of Southern California
#1 Grad School: University of Central Florida

NEW YORK, March 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Princeton Review^® — known for its education services and school rankings in dozens of categories — today released its 13^th annual rankings of undergraduate and graduate schools offering the best programs in game design studies.

For the sixth year in a row, the University of Southern California in Los Angeles earned the #1 spot on the undergraduate list of 50 schools. On the graduate list which names 25 schools, the University of Central Florida in Orlando was #1 for the third consecutive year. The top 10 schools on the two lists are below.

The Princeton Review has posted the complete ranking lists on its website at Top Game Design Schools for 2022. There, prospective applicants can also access profiles of the schools with information on their academics, campus culture, financial aid, admission requirements and application deadlines.

The Princeton Review chose the schools based on its 2021 survey of administrators at 150 institutions offering game design courses, majors, or degree programs. Most of the selected institutions are in the U.S.; two are in Canada and seven are abroad. The 50-question survey covered four areas: academics, faculty, technology, and career prospects. Administrators were asked to report on everything from the credentials of their faculty to the starting salaries of their graduates. In all, more than 40 survey data points were analyzed to tally the rankings. Information about the ranking methodology and the survey is here.

"We enthusiastically recommend these schools to students considering a career in this burgeoning field," said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review's Editor-in-Chief. "Every one of the schools has an outstanding game design program. Their faculties are first-rate, their facilities are state-of-the-art, and their alumni include many of the industry's most successful artists, designers, developers, and entrepreneurs."

Franek noted the exceptional experience students in the schools' game design programs gained. At the schools on the 2022 lists:

More than 70% of the students in the programs worked on a shipped game as part of their studies. At undergraduate schools, that figure was 69%. At graduate schools, it was 80%.
Nearly all of the students in the programs developed an actionable plan to launch a functional game after graduation. At undergraduate schools, that figure was 93%. At graduate schools, it was 99%.

PC Gamer, a top online and print gaming destination, is The Princeton Review's reporting partner on this project. The magazine's May issue, which lands on newsstands today, has a six-page feature on the project. Titled "The Best Game Design Programs," it publishes the two lists and notes interesting stats as well as fun facts about the schools' graduates, faculty, and alumni. PC Gamer has been The Princeton Review's partner on this project since 2013.

The Princeton Review's website feature, Top Game Design Schools for 2022, also has articles with advice for prospective applicants. Among them are: "What to Look for in a Game Design School," "Success Stories from Game Design Alumni," and "From Grad School to Game Designer."

Top 10 schools on the 2022 list "Top 50 Undergraduate Schools for Game Design":

University of Southern California (Los Angeles)
New York University (Brooklyn, NY)
Clark University (Worcester, MA)
Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY)
DigiPen Institute of Technology (Redmond, WA)
Michigan State University (East Lansing)
University of Utah (Salt Lake City)
Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA))
Shawnee State University (Portsmouth, OH)
Champlain College (Burlington, VT)

Top 10 schools on the 2022 list "Top 25 Graduate Schools for Game Design":

University of Central Florida (Orlando)
New York University (Brooklyn, NY)
Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX)
University of Southern California (Los Angeles)
University of Utah (Salt Lake City)
Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY)
Abertay University (Dundee, Scotland)
DigiPen Institute of Technology (Redmond, WA)
Clark University (Worcester, MA)
Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA)

The Princeton Review has reported annual ranking lists of top schools for game design since 2010. The company also reports annual rankings of colleges, law schools, and business schools, as well as rankings of top schools for entrepreneurship studies and lists of top online degree programs in education, library science, and nursing.

About The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review^® is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admissions services company. Every year, it helps millions of college- and graduate school–bound students achieve their education and career goals through its: online and in-person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors; online resources; more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House; and dozens of categories of school rankings. Founded in 1981, The Princeton Review is now in its 41^st year. The company's Tutor.com brand, now in its 21^st 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 21 million one-to-one tutoring sessions. The Princeton Review is headquartered in New York, NY. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University. For more information, visit PrincetonReview.com and the company's Media Center. Follow the company on Twitter (@ThePrincetonRev) and Instagram (@theprincetonreview ).