Computer, console, and even arcade games are so popular that experts in the field predict that the gaming industry will generate than $68 billion in business in 2012 alone. The gaming industry is growing so fast that more than 65 percent of U.S. households play video games and 2 out of 5 are female. Because the average age of a gamer today is 32, the average customer has more money to spend on high-end games. They also demand more, which is why the industry now employs more than 200,000 innovative game designers along with hundreds of talented animators, cover artists, testers, illustrators, programmers, and more.
Aspiring game designers & developers must have extraordinary talent, a significant amount of experience, and advanced tech skills. In return, you’ll receive an average salary of around $80,000 a year, but many top designers earn six figures. To get started on the path to success in this field, it all begins with a “best” school. The best schools in the nation have several things in common. They offer a wide variety of programs, excellent faculty resources and graduation and retention rates, and a diverse collection of financial aid programs. A best school is also very selective, so the admissions process won’t be easy.
In the state of Oklahoma, one school offers a top-tier program for aspiring game designers & developers. It also ranks among the best universities in the region. Rogers State University was established in 1909. This state-supported, coed university sits on a modest 40-acre campus just 30 short miles form Tulsa. The school’s 4,600+ students know Rogers State University as RSU. They live in the Claremore area and northeastern Oklahoma, as well as around the world, thanks to RSU’s excellent distance learning department. RSU was the first university in Oklahoma (and one of the first in the U.S.) to offer programs entirely online.
RSU offers dozens of fields of study from business to visual art. Aspiring game designers & developers may earn a B. S. in Game Development. Other options for aspiring artists and designers include a B. F. A. in Visual Arts with a Graphic Design Focus. Undergraduate residents can expect to pay $2,417 and undergraduate nonresidents can expect to pay $7,254 (2011-2012 school year). Tuition at RSU does not include fees of $1,378 per year. If you are an incoming first-time freshman and a resident, you can lock in tuition rates thanks to Oklahoma’s Guaranteed Tuition Program.
More Programs to Consider:
- Winter Park, FL & Online
