North Carolina Game Design & Development Schools: Most Expensive to Least Expensive

North Carolina is home to some of the nation’s best schools for artists and designers. These schools are “Title IV schools,” meaning they are eligible for Title IV financial aid programs. The state’s 139 Title IV schools earned this status based on fulfillment of five special requirements. Title IV schools (1) grant an associate's degree or higher, (2) have accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, (3) have signed a participation agreement with the Department, (4) have been in business for at least 2 years, and (5) offer a program of at least 300 clock hours in length.

Although North Carolina’s top schools for artists and designers are considered affordable, many parents and students still need help meeting tuition costs. Fortunately, Title IV schools offer access to a number of financial aid programs for varying levels of need.

Of North Carolina’s most popular options for artists and designers, we found three that offer programs for aspiring game designers & developers. All are less than $10,000 per school year for residents, and under $20,000 per year for nonresidents. To become a resident of most states, all it takes is a year, so check with the admissions office for details.

Continue reading to find out which North Carolina schools offer game design & development programs and what they cost.
 
Most Expensive to Least Expensive North Carolina Game Design & Development Schools

North Carolina State University, Raleigh - Tuition Cost: Undergraduate residents $5,153, nonresidents $17,988; graduate residents $5,958, nonresidents $18,006 for the 2011 – 2012 school year.  Tuition does not include undergraduate fees of $1,865 or graduate fees of $1,876 per year.

East Carolina University, Greenville – Tuition Cost: Undergraduate residents $3,348, nonresidents $19,275; graduate residents $3,557, nonresidents $17,908 for the 2011 – 2012 school year. Tuition does not include fees of $2,016 per year.

University of North Carolina, Wilmington – Tuition Cost: Undergraduate residents $3,225, nonresidents $15,046 for the 2011 – 2012 school year.  Tuition does not include fees of $2,446 per year.

More Game Design & Development related programs to consider:  

North Carolina Game Design & Development Scene

The Bureau of Labor Statistics updated employment and wage information on March 27, 2012. According to these latest figures, North Carolina is home to 37,420 salaried artists and designers. Although this figure is slightly less than figures for 2010 (38,280), it is still higher than 2002, when the state was home to 30,930 salaried artists and designers. 

North Carolina’s creative community consists of craft artists, fine artists, commercial and industrial designers, graphic designers, game designers, and more. They work all over the state from Albemarle to Winston-Salem, but a large percentage work in major cities such as Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro. Asheville has become a popular place for artists and designer over the years, so it is definitely worth exploring if you’re interested in a smaller city with a close-knit creative community.
 
North Carolina’s game artists can find work at a variety of game design & development companies of all sizes. Just a few options include Epic Games (Cary), Insomniac Games (Raleigh), Red Storm Entertainment (Morrisville), Virtual Heroes Inc. (Raleigh), Icarus Studios (Cary), Playdom (Chapel Hill), NVIDIA (Durham), Threshold Games (Raleigh), and Vicious Games (Morrisville).