Top 10 Augmented/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) Schools on the East Coast - 2022 College Rankings

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was incorporated on April 10, 1861, just two days before the start of the Civil War. Serving 12,000 students, MIT offers more than 100 programs across seven colleges and schools including Schwarzman College of Computing, Sloan School of Management, and the Schools of Architecture and Planning; Engineering; Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences; and Science. MIT also houses dozens of departments, centers, and labs.

For individuals interested in AR/VR, the academic units, departments, centers, and labs at MIT provide numerous programs designed to support AR/VR education, projects, innovation, and research. For a foundational understanding of AR/VR, MIT has an 8-week Online Certificate Program known as MIT xPro. Examples of topics covered include Introduction to Technologies of Virtuality, Producing VR and AR Experiences I: Design Overview, Game Development, Producing VR and AR Experiences II: Design Processes, and XR Apps Development.

The Schwarzman College of Computing at MIT houses the Center for Computational Science and Engineering (CCSE) and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS). The CCSE offers an MS degree known as the Computational Science and Engineering SM Program (CSE SM).

This interdisciplinary provides the opportunity to choose electives that focus on particular applications. Hands on projects and access to MITs many centers and labs are major components of the CSE SM program. Course examples for the program include Atomistic Modeling & Simulations of Materials & Structures, Computational Cognitive Science, Optimization for Machine Learning, Architecting & Engineering Software Systems, and Advances in Computer Vision.

The CCSE also has a CSE PhD program, provided jointly with eight participating departments. Students in the program have the opportunity to focus in a computation-related field of their choice through coursework and the doctoral thesis.

The EECS Department at MIT is composed of three overlapping sub-units including artificial intelligence (AI) and decision-making (AI+D), electrical engineering (EE), and computer science (CS). The curriculum is a joint venture between the Schwarzman College of Computing and the School of Engineering. AR/VR related programs include a BS in Computation and Cognition (also provide in collaboration with the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences), a Minor in Computer Science (72 units), and PhD’s in Computer Science, and CS and Engineering. The PhD degree is awarded interchangeably with the Doctor of Science (ScD).

The largest undergraduate program at MIT, EECS offers intensive hands-on coursework and opportunities to engage in independent study or research for academic credit. Students in the BS program will take courses such as Perception, Robotics: Science and Systems, Advances in Computer Vision, Machine-Motivated Human Vision, AI, and Digital Systems Laboratory.

MIT labs and centers include the MIT Center for Advanced Virtuality, MIT Media Lab, and MIT.nano Immersion Lab.

The MIT Center for Advanced Virtuality brings together experts, students, and resources in a studio/laboratory environment to support research and creative projects. The Center focuses on innovation across technologies and platforms such as virtuality (XR, VR, AR, MR, etc.), videogames, social media, and others.

Founded in 1985, the MIT Media Lab is an interdisciplinary research organization that allows students, faculty, and researchers to work together on hundreds of projects across disciplines such as social robotics, physical and cognitive prostheses, new models and tools for learning, community bioengineering, models for sustainable cities, and more. The Lab also houses the graduate degree program in Media Arts and Sciences (MAS).

The MIT.nano Immersion Lab highlights activities such as developing new software and hardware concepts for immersive experiences, prototyping advanced tools for augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), and visualizing data. The Immersion Lab connects engineers and scientists with musicians, artists, and performers performers through creative projects across multiple disciplines.

The Lab also produces the monthly seminar series IMMERSED, which consists of lectures, demonstrations, and tutorials that explore immersive technology and how it shapes advances across art, science, and engineering.

Graduates of the Certificate, Computer Science, and Engineering Programs at MIT are prepared to pursue positions in AR/VR, AI, Information and Technology, and many others. Some of the top employers of MIT graduates include Amazon, Apple, Aurora Flight Sciences, Boeing, Facebook, Google, IBM, Microsoft, and the U.S. Air Force.

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) delivered its first fully online program years before any other post-secondary institution entered the online arena. RIT was also the first university to offer an undergraduate degree in software engineering, and in 2008, RIT launched the world’s first doctoral program focusing on sustainable production systems.

Founded in 1829, Rochester Institute of Technology serves nearly 19,000 students at its main campus in Rochester, New York, and around 1,700 at international campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai, and Kosovo. Programs at RIT are housed in 11 colleges and schools, including the Golisano College of Computing and Information—home of the School of Interactive Games and Media and the Department of Computing and Information Sciences.

The School of Interactive Games and Media has a New Media Interactive Development BS Program and the Department of Computing and Information Sciences houses the Computing and Information Sciences PhD. Coursework for the BS Program focuses on adapting digital technologies for AR/VR, touch interfaces, the internet, wearable devices, social software, and other new and emerging devices, systems, and experiences.

Other program features include the New Media Design Capstone (I & II), which provides the opportunity to work on a project for a corporate client, collaboration with students in RITs New Media Design major, and required participation in the cooperative education (co-op) program, which provides full-time, paid career experience working in the industry.

The Computing and Information Sciences PhD explores infrastructure, interaction, informatics, and interaction between computing and non-computing disciplines in the arts, science, engineering, medicine, business, and humanities. Research areas for the PhD include but are not limited to AI and Machine Learning, Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI, Game Design, Graphics and Visualization, and Programming Languages.

Students in both the BS and PhD programs have access to RIT’s VR/AR Lab and Frameless Labs. Located at the RIT MAGIC Center, the AR/VR Lab is designed for the exploration of and experimentation with AR/VR platforms, technologies, and hardware.  Also located at the MAGIC Center, Frameless Labs provides a space for the extended reality (XR) community to collaborate. The goal is to raise awareness about research, innovation, and artistic creation in the fields of AR and VR.

Current projects and experiences include Development and Assessment of Virtual Reality Paradigms for Gaze Contingent Visual Rehabilitation, Color and Material Appearance in AR, Mixed Reality Theatre (funded by Epic Games), Digital Docents: Historical NY Stories in Virtual and Augmented Reality, and the VR Cary Collection.

Rochester Institute of Technology graduates are prepared for careers in a wide variety of industries from entertainment to aerospace. AR/VR Developer, Interactive Developer, UX Engineer, Technical Lead, Application Developer, and Digital technician are just a few potential job titles.

Drexel University began as Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry in 1891. The school is one of the top 10 private employer’s in Philadelphia and since 1919, Drexel has been a cooperative (co-op) educational institution, meaning all undergraduates work six months at a job in their chosen field as part of their education. The co-op program covers more than 75 disciplines, making it one of the nation’s most comprehensive co-op programs.

Serving more than 23,700 students, Drexel University houses more than 100 undergraduate degree programs and over than 120 graduate and professional programs across 12 colleges and schools. One of the school’s top colleges is the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, which offers predominantly studio-based programs in Media, Design, and the Performing Arts. The College houses its own record label—MAD Dragon Records, lifestyle magazine D&M, and a student-run Graphic Design firm.

Westphal College of Media Arts & Design houses Drexel’s Digital Media & Virtual Production BS—one of the first accredited programs of its kind. The College is also home to the Virtual Reality (VR) & Immersive Media Minor, which covers the principles, tolls, and techniques used in AR/VR design and other types of immersive media. Students in this 24 credit hour program also have the opportunity to customize the curriculum to support their goals. Course examples for the program include Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Computer Graphics, Animation and Visual Effects, and Game Design.

Officially launched in 2018 as Virtual Reality & Immersive Media (VRIM), the Digital Media & Virtual Production BS Program explores storytelling, animation, design, 3D modeling, virtual production, and use of interactive game engines. Students will have the opportunity to master the latest hardware and software for AR/VR, immersive projection, motion capture, and other technologies fueling the growth of the immersive media industry,

Course features for the BS Program include Augmented Reality, Immersive Projection, 360° Video Production, Virtual Production, 3D Modeling, Texturing, & Lighting, Computer Animation, Interactive Design, 3D Tracking, Computer Programming, and Visual Effects. All students will participate in the co-op program where they will have opportunities to work for companies such as YouTube VR, History Making Productions, Franklin Institute Science Museum, Night Kitchen, and Toll Brothers.

In addition to the BS Program, Westphal houses two labs: Animation Capture & Effects (ACE-Lab) and the Immersive Research Lab (IRL).

The ACE-Lab houses Westphal’s Digital Animation, Visual Effects, and Immersive Media Programs as well as VR, AR, and other interactive experiences. The Lab includes the latest industry-standard software and hardware technologies for VR, AR, Motion Capture, Projection and other technologies. Within the Lab, students have access to funded grant research opportunities. They also have the opportunity to participate in industry-sponsored projects, and independent, and student-generated projects.

Launched in 2018, the IRL allows students to develop AR/VR and immersive media technologies. The 550-square-foot, glass-enclosed lab features equipment such as HP-ZVR Backpack Workstations, virtual and augmented reality devices from Oculus Go, HTC VIVE and Microsoft HoloLens headsets, Leap Motion hand-tracking and iClone Facial motion capture systems, and a full motion capture studio equipped with OptiTrak and Vicon motion capture devices. Other technologies include 360-degree virtual reality cameras, a custom virtual reality cycle platform, and an x-wing fighter cockpit platform.

Drexel Westphal graduates work in Education, Entertainment, the Sciences, Historical Recreation, and many other areas. Alumni have been hired at Digital Domain, Disney, DreamWorks, Moving Picture Company, and Pixar. Graduates also work at major video game development companies as Animation Software Developers and in other positions involving the use of AR/VR, Animation, and Visual Effects skills.

Founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1740, University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) is one of the nation’s oldest universities. Notable alumni include Elon Musk, Warren Buffett, John Legend, Tory Burch, and Noam Chomsky. UPenn serves around 28,000 students enrolled in 90 majors at the undergraduate level and more than 100 at the graduate level. Among the school’s undergraduate programs is a Bachelor’s in Engineering and Science (BSE) in Digital Media (DMD) and a the eight-course DMD Minor.

Created in 1998, the interdisciplinary BSE in DMD in the School of Engineering and Applied Science combines coursework in Computer Graphics, within the Computer & Information Science Department, Fine Arts courses from Penn's School of Design, and Communication Theory courses from the Annenberg School of Communication.

The BSE in DMD is designed for students interested in the math, design, and computer programming needed to produce virtual reality environments,  interactive technologies, computer graphics, games, and animations. Course examples include Interactive Computer Graphics, Automata, Computability, and Complexity, Computer Programming, Advanced Rendering, Mechanics Lab, Art of the Web: Interactive Concepts for Art & Design, Programming Languages and Techniques, Software Design, Advanced Computer Graphics, and Computer Animation. 

Students in the DMD Minor Program will complete a Senior Capstone, in lieu of the Senior Design Course. The Capstone Project takes one semester to complete.

Graduates of the DMD Programs at University of Pennsylvania have been hired at some of the world’s top companies and studios such as Walt Disney Animation Studios, Google, Electronic Arts (EA), DreamWorks Animation, Pixar, and Microsoft.

Northeastern University has one of the top cooperative (co-op) education programs in the U.S. Established more than a century ago, the program recorded more than 9,000 placements with 2,900 employers around the world from 2019-2020 alone. The school also integrates global experience into learning at all degree levels.

Founded in 1898, Northeastern serves 33,676 students enrolled in more than 500 programs across campuses in Boston, Massachusetts; Charlotte, North Carolina; Seattle, Washington; Silicon Valley; San Francisco, California; Toronto, Ontario Canada; Vancouver, BC Canada; London, UK; Portland, Maine, and the Massachusetts communities of Nahant and Burlington. As an R1 Research University, Northeastern also houses 10 research institutes. Examples include the Experiential AI Institute, the Experiential Robotics Institute, and the Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things.

The College of Arts, Media, and Design (CAMD) is home to the school’s combined major leading to a BS in Design and Mechanical Engineering (BSME) and the Immersive Media Minor. CAMD Programs are available at most Northeastern campuses.

The Immersive Media Minor is an interdisciplinary program for students who are interested in Augmented Virtuality, Extended Reality, Cross Reality, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and Enhanced Realities. Course examples for the program include Virtual Environment Design, Immersive Media, Physical and Digital Fabrication, Programming, Animation for Games, Design Analysis and Innovation, and Game Studio.

The BSME Program is divided into seven areas: Engineering, Design, Supporting Courses, Writing, Integrative Courses, Professional Development, and General Electives. Course examples include Experience and Interaction, Interaction Design, Design Process Context and Systems, Mechanical Engineering Computation and Design, Fluid Mechanics, Movement and Time, Professional Issues in Engineering, and Physics for Engineering. BSME students can add the Immersive Media Minor and a Senior Capstone Design is part of the program.

Students in both the BSME and Immersive Media Minor Program have access to three CAMD labs that support AR/VR learning, projects, and research.

The Immersive Media Labs Suite includes technologies for design, development, and exploration of AR/VR/XR, 360 video, and virtual worlds. Students have access to individual workstations and a collaboration and teaching area. Current work in the Lab includes design, development, and exploration of immersive data visualization, immersive games to study and build problem solving and collaboration skills, exploration and integration of digital drawing, painting, and sculpting tools, storytelling, media advocacy, and healthcare delivery.

In the Experiential Technologies Lab and User Testing Environment students develop software, and engage in interface development, game testing, and integration of biometrics tools including eye-tracking and wearable sensors. Lab resources include a one-way mirror, camera setups, and high-end computing.

MedVR is produced in partnership with Grassroots Developer Education, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and the College of Arts, Media, and Design. Clinicians, engineers, and creatives collaborate in the lab to talk and learn about the latest AR/VR developments in healthcare and life sciences, invent translational AR/VR solutions, and solve healthcare problems by creating new experiences with AR/VR.

Graduates of the CAMD Programs and others at Northeastern University have been hired by a wide variety of companies, studios, and organizations. Examples include Amazon, Microsoft, 20th Digital Studio (formerly known as Fox Digital Studio), Google, ABC, AMC Networks, NBC, Abbot, ATYX Gaming, Nickelodeon, Alpha Defense, Nokia, Oracle, Peloton, NASA's Johnson Space Center, Photo Diagnostic Systems, Inc., Tesla, Textron, Apple, Walt Disney World, Lockheed Martin, UBTCH Robotics, Walt Disney Imagineering, the U.S. Air Force, and United Technologies Aerospace Systems.