
If a school is popular, it must be the best, right? That depends. To create a “best schools” list, each institution is evaluated carefully according to certain standards set forth by reputable college ranking organizations such as Princeton Review, Forbes, and U.S. News & World Report. They consider number of program offerings, graduation and retention rates, peer assessment, faculty resources (student-teacher ratio), financial resources, and student selectivity. In the state of Ohio, an impressive number of schools made the cut and many of them offer some of the best game design & development programs in the nation.
According to the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Ohio of is home to 215 colleges and universities, placing it at number six on the list of top 10 states with the largest number of colleges. The states art and design programs (including game design & development) are as varied as its collection of schools. While many of the best game design & development school programs can be found in the state’s largest cities—Columbus and Cleveland, you can still find several of the best in smaller cities such as Athens and Kent.
Just a few of Ohio’s best game design & development schools include Cleveland Institute of Art, Shawnee State University, and Ohio University. Take a look at our list below to learn more about the best game design & development school programs in Ohio and what they have to offer.
Best Game Design & Development School Programs - Major Ohio Cities
Columbus
The Ohio State University - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Art and Technology, B. S. Design with Concentration in Visual Communication Design; M. F. A. Art and Technology; M. F. A. Digital Animation and Interactive Media
Cleveland
Cleveland Institute of Art – Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Animation, Communication Design, Game Design, Illustration, Technology and Integrated Media Environment (T. I. M. E.) – Digital Arts, Video
Best Game Design & Development School Programs - Other Ohio Cities and Towns
Athens
Ohio University - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Graphic Design, B. S. C. Digital Media: Special Effects, Games and Animation; M. F. A. Graphic Design
Kent
Kent State University - Degrees Offered: B. A., B. F. A. Graphic Design – 2D, Graphic Design – 3D, Photo-Illustration, B. S. Computer Design, Animation and Game Design; M. A., M. F. A. Visual Communication Design
Portsmouth
Shawnee State University - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Gaming and Simulation Development Arts, Visualist Design and Interactive Media; B. S. Digital Simulation and Gaming Engineering Technology
More Programs to Consider:
- San Francisco & Online
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#21) - 2019
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#28) - 2019
- Top 40 Nationally for Illustration (#40) - 2019
- Winter Park, FL & Online
- Computer Animation - Bachelor's - Online & Campus
- Game Programs - Bachelor's & Master's - Online & Campus
- Graphic Design & Digital Arts - Bachelor's - Online & Campus
- Film & Digital Cinematography - Bachelor's & Master's - Online & Campus
- Mobile Development - Bachelor's - Online & Campus
- Simulation & Visualization - Bachelor's - Campus
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#27) - 2019
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#24) - 2019
- Top 10 in Florida for Graphic Design (#4) - 2019
- Online
- Introduction to 3D Animation - 6 months
- Introduction to 3D Modeling - 6 Months
- Introduction to Concept Art - 6 Months
- Foundations for VFX & Game Design - 10 Months
- Advanced 3D Animation Diploma - 10 Months
- Advanced 3D Modeling Diploma - 10 Months
- Advanced Concept Art Diploma - 10 Months
- Advanced Illustration Diploma - 10 Months