Top 20 Game Design Schools and Colleges in the Midwest – 2020 College Rankings

Founded in 1855, Michigan State University (MSU) serves around 50,350 students from 142 countries, every state in the United States and every county in Michigan. MSU students have access to more than 200 programs across 17 degree-granting colleges. The College of Communication Arts and Sciences houses the Media and Information (MI) Department, home of the Game Design and Development Program.

Founded in 2005, the program offers BA and BS degrees in Media and Information with a Game and Interactive Media Design Specialization, a BS in Computer Science with a Game Design and Development Specialization, and a BA or BFA in Studio Art with a Game Design and Development Specialization. The Specialization is also available to other majors “on a case-by-case basis, particularly those in the Honors College.” An interdisciplinary Game Design and Development Minor is also available.

Per the school, “the minor brings together students in Media and Information, Computer Science, and Studio Art. For most majors outside of MI, the Minor often nearly fulfills the student's cognate requirements.” The College of Engineering, College of Arts & Letters, and College of Communication Arts and Sciences administer the Minor jointly. The College of Communication Arts and Sciences is the lead administrative unit.

Graduate game offerings include an MA in Media and Information with a Focus in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) + Serious Game Design & Research Certificate and a PhD in Information and Media. The PhD program offers a range of research areas including Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Games and Meaningful Play, Game Design and Development, Human-Centered Technology Design, Computational Communication, Media Innovation, and Design and Entrepreneurship, to name a few.

Besides offering a variety of programs for game designers, the College of Communication Arts and Sciences houses the Games for Entertainment and Learning (GEL) Lab. According to the College, the mission of the GEL Lab is to “design innovative prototypes, techniques, and complete games for entertainment and learning and to advance state of the art knowledge about social and individual effects of digital games.”

Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington) was founded in 1820 as “State Seminary.” The Seminary became Indiana College in 1828 and Indiana University in 1838. Today, Indiana University is the largest and oldest Indiana University campus, serving nearly 42,950 students (of the systems 91,515 students) enrolled in 577,209 credit hours. The school has more than 550 academic programs across 16 degree-granting colleges and schools, plus the Hutton Honors College.

The College of Arts and Sciences is home to The Media School. Here, students can earn a BS in Game Design with a Specialization in Game Art, Game Audio, or Game Production; a BA in Media with a Concentration in Interactive and Digital Media: Specialization Game Art, Game Audio, or Game Production, or an MS with a Concentration in Design and Production. A Certificate in New Media and Interactive Storytelling is also available.

All game students will study all aspects of programming, art, sound, design, and project management. Courses are a mix of hands-on production classes and seminars in theoretical foundations. Game theory and system strategies is highlighted as well as the production and publication of a finished game developed as part of a team. This original game will be produced through three workshops taken three semesters: Prototype, Demo, and Publish.

All students will also have the opportunity to select 15 elective credits to further refine their career path. In addition, BS students may take Human Computer Interaction courses in the School of Informatics and Computing and study abroad courses such as Game Development: Programming and Practice, Rhetoric of Gaming, and Game Development Lab in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Established in 1869, Purdue University serves more than 43,400 students from all 50 states and nearly 130 countries. One of the 10 academic colleges of Purdue University, Purdue Polytechnic Institute was founded in 1964 as Purdue University College of Technology. Around 12% of Purdue’s students are enrolled in the Polytechnic Institute, which houses six academic departments and schools offering 70 academic options in six subject areas. The Department of Computer Graphics Technology (CGT) offers game design programs at all degree levels.

Undergraduate offerings include a BS in CGT with a Game Development and Design Major. The CGT program provides STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and math) and games. Studies include trigonometry, calculus, and physics, as well classes in video game design and development, animation, visualization, rendering and programming. Students will also have the opportunity to complete a unique research project.

Projects open to undergraduate students have focused on the use of games for sustainable energy, therapy and medicine, entertainment, information visualization and more.

Graduate offerings include an MS in CGT and a PhD in Technology offered through the Department of Computer and Information Technology (CIT). The MS offers several focus areas including Game Studies, Virtual and Augmented Reality, Computer Graphics Programming, and Computational Art. The PhD Program offers a CGT Specialization that covers Game Studies, Human Centered Design and Development, Virtual Product Integration, Animation, and Web Programming and Design.

Students may also earn a BS CGT/MS Technology with a Specialization in CGT, which may be completed in just five years instead of six years or more if pursued separately. Graduates of the game design programs at Purdue Polytechnic Institute have gone on to work for EA Games, Riot Games, Volition, Zynga, and many others.

Founded in 1906 as the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts, the College for Creative Studies serves more than 1,400 students enrolled in over a dozen degree programs across 14 academic departments. Serving 329 students, Entertainment Arts is the school’s largest department. The Department offers a BFA in Entertainment Arts with a Focus in Games, Animation, Concept Design or Digital Film.

Games teaches students how to produce 2-D and 3-D images and concepts for video games. As a complement to the program, students may choose coursework from other areas or a Minor in Animation & Digital Media, Illustration, Fine Arts, or Visual Culture. All BFA students will take 126 credit hours including 84 in studio areas and 42 in general studies courses.

The school says that in addition to coursework in their chosen major, first-year students take courses in the Foundation Department, where they study drawing, color theory and basic design. Students in all majors also take courses in the Liberal Arts Department, which the school says is designed to provide them with an understanding of the larger social and cultural context in which they live.

Graduates of the program are prepared to seek positions such as Character Artist, Environment and Vehicle Designer, Technical and VFX Artist, Creative Director, and AR/VR Developer.

Ferris State University was founded in 1884 as Big Rapids Industrial School. Celebrating its 135th anniversary, the school announced that Fall 2019 enrollment was 14,472 students across all campuses, including 9,175 on the main campus in Big Rapids. Ferris offers more than 190 educational programs through the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Services, Engineering Technology, Health Professions, Pharmacy, Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD), and Michigan College of Optometry.

Programs for aspiring game designers are offered through both the School of Digital Media in the College of Education and Human Services and Kendall College of Art and Design. School of Digital Media programs include a BS in Digital Media Software Engineering (DMSE) and a BAS in Digital Animation and Game Design (DAGD). A Digital Media AS is also available. Per the school, the BS in DMSE is designed as an engineering degree focused on the technologies, procedures, and methodologies involved in the software development process. The program offers students the opportunity to actively compete in many growing industries such as Video Game Development, Information Technology, and Entertainment.

Students in the BAS DAGD program will learn how to create and manipulate 2D textures and images, model, rig, light, animate and render 3D characters and scenes, build content in industry leading game engines, author interactive applications and games, and design and create 3D game level mods. In addition to game design and asset creation, the program prepares students to pursue careers in medical visualization, legal simulation, film, and more.

The AS program combines existing courses within the DAGD, DMSE, and Television and Digital Media Production (TDMP) programs into an introductory and exploratory degree within the School. It allows students to complete their general education requirements while enrolling in courses from across the digital media curriculum.

Founded in 1928 and located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kendall College of Art and Design serves more than 1,000 students enrolled in around 24 BFA, BS, MA, MFA, and Certificate programs. KCAD offers a BFA in Digital Art and Design. The program allows students to work in one of two focus areas including Entertainment Art (animation, digital 3D, visual development for games and animation, and sequential arts like comics and storyboards) and Multimedia Design (interaction design for the web, apps, virtual reality, the internet of things, and video and motion design animation). 

Students in the program will gain knowledge and hands-on experience via high-end equipment and on-campus facilities such as Cintiq Studios and a wide range of cameras, microphones, and lighting equipment, and via access to The Dow Center FlexLab, and KCAD Library. Graduates will leave the program with the skills and experience needed to pursue career paths in areas such as 2D animation, 3D game art, visual development, interaction design, and motion design.

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UW-W) was founded in 1868. The school serves nearly 13,000 students across two campuses. The school offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and 119 minors, many areas of emphasis, and dozens of graduate programs through five colleges and schools. The College of Arts and Communication is home to the Department of Art and Design. Program offerings here include BA and BS degrees in Gaming Technology and Communication/Gaming, and a BA in Media Arts.

Per the school, Gaming Technology students “will develop the programming skills and software development expertise required for cross-platform real-time interactive graphics and game development. Students focus on building a solid base of programming skills necessary to take on real-world challenges related to developing games, mobile apps, websites and more.” Course highlights for the program include C++ Sequence, Artificial Intelligence, Game Engine/Modding, and Graphics Programming. An Internship, Special Topics and Independent Study are also part of the program as well as a required Team Project.

Communication/Gaming course highlights include Video Production, Sound and Image, Game Development, Social Media Optimization, and Advanced Audio Techniques. Students in the program will “focus on the role of games in developing culture and communicating messages, intersections and interactions between audio and video, and approaches for the optimization of social media.” Practicum courses provide “real-world opportunities for students to hone their skills in a variety of areas, including web video production, motion graphics, composition/scoring, advanced web development and marketing.”

Media Arts (formerly Visual Media Design) “develops aesthetic sensibility and artistic design skills important in the production of original, creative, digital media content for interactive and time-based computer games, animation, websites, video, special effects, the 3D and motion graphic industry, and artistic productions.”

Course highlights include Graphic Media Imaging as a Web/Interactive Media, Raster/Vector & 3-D Modeling, Graphics and Animation, and Digital Video/Motion Graphics. Students in the Media Arts program may also choose additional elective courses from the Gaming Technology or Communication/Gaming programs.

Two team-based projects courses provide a capstone for the degree programs. In addition, all students may participate in the MAGD Expo—a juried show of interactive entertainment, 3D, 2D, aural, virtual and animated creative work held annually at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater.

Established in 1882, Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA) is an independent college of art and design that serves 645 total students from 32 states and nine countries around the world. The school offers 15 majors in the fine arts, design, craft, and interactive media. The school offers a BFA in Game Design that “focuses on collaboration and mentoring by accomplished experts in digital media and game design, who will help students build connections and network with other professionals in the field,” says the school.

Game students at CIA work with “innovative production processes” including game production, 3D modeling, animation, programming, visual design, interactive storytelling, and audio, as well as theory, criticism, and context of video game culture and digital media. “While creating interesting and usable content, students build character development skills through coursework that analyzes and synthesizes physical, cognitive, cultural, and political aspects of human interaction.”

Course highlights include Game Production I-IV, Serious Game Design: Theory + Applications, Special VFX/Simulation + Virtual Reality, Game Testing + Level Design, and 3D Texture, Mapping, Digital Lighting. Students will also complete the BFA Research + Preparation course, the BFA Thesis + Exhibition, and the Game Design Internship course worth three elective credits upon approval by the Department Chair.

Graduates of the CIA Game Design Program are prepared to seek positions such as Game Designer, Storyboard Artist, Animator, Layout Artist, Visual Effects Supervisor, and many others.

Founded in 1849, Eastern Michigan University (EMU) offers more than 200 undergraduate majors, minors and certificates, plus more than 150 graduate programs to nearly 18,850 students. CMU houses the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Health & Human Services, and Technology, along with seven centers and institutes. The School of Visual & Built Environments is part of the College of Technology (pop. 2,120). Here students can earn a BS with a Focus in Simulation, Animation, and Gaming (SAG) or they can take a 21 credit hour Minor in SAG. 

The school says the SAG degree is a multidisciplinary area of study, combining traditional art mediums, programming, creative writing and story development with coursework focusing on modeling, rigging, animation, lighting, and camera work in 3D. The program gives students a wide variety of experiences in their course of study, which includes courses such as Game Development and Planning, Game Engines, Advanced Modeling, SAG Rigging, and Environment Design, to name a few. Graduates of the program go on to become Game Designers, Character Designer, Effects Artists, Modeler and Storyboard Assistants, Graphic Designers, Computer Animators, Concept Artists, and more.

Graduates of the program are prepared to seek careers such as Graphic Designer, Computer Animator, Concept Artist, Character Designer, Effects Artists, Modeler and Storyboard Assistant.

Head over to the College of Arts and Sciences' School of Communication, Media & Theater Arts where you will find a BA in Entertainment Design and Technology. The multidisciplinary program allows students to choose a Minor in SAG or other area and up to nine elective hours. Sample electives include Texturing and Mapping, Environment Design, Story Development, Graphics for Simulation, and Introduction to Simulation, Animation and Gaming.

Other program highlights include a hands-on work environment and collaboration with faculty and other students, an internship, and connections with corporate affiliates who regularly provide support for productions and offer employment opportunities for students.

Ohio University (OU) was established in 1804 as Ohio’s first university. The school serves nearly 35,000 students enrolled in more than 300 programs across 11 colleges. The E.W. Scripps College of Communications houses the School of Media Arts & Studies. Serving nearly 700 undergraduates, the school offers a BS in Communication with an Emphasis in Games & Animation and an MFA in Communication Media Arts.

The Games & Animation (G&A) emphasis area “encourages students to explore the production of computer animation and digital games while also providing an understanding of the management and leadership roles in these industries,” says the school. Students will take a combination of foundation/core courses, G&A intro classes, and advanced coursework.

Course highlights include Video Production Basics, Global Media Systems, Digital Game Design, 3D Modeling & Animation, Audience Research, Sound for Moving images, Motion Graphics, Game Development, and Media Arts Management. Students have the opportunity to complete a Digital Games Capstone as well as an internship.

The MFA in Communication Media Arts is a three-year program that provides the opportunity for students “hone new creative production skills, contextualized through hands-on, collaborative projects in order to graduate prepared for the leading edge of industry.” Candidates for the program must have at least three years of professional experience in the communication field and at least one high-level production skill.

While in the program, each graduate student will add to their current skill(s) by studying in at least two additional areas including animation, digital games and animation, documentary, interactive media/web design, publication design, data visualization and info graphics, and virtual and augmented reality, to name a few. Hands-on, experiential projects are a required part of the program as well as declaring a Cognate Area outside of the student’s production skills. Examples include art history, educational technologies, education, public media or a wide variety of humanities areas.

University of Nebraska – Omaha (UNO) was founded in 1908. The school serves 17,905 students enrolled in more than 200 programs of study through six colleges. The College of Information Science & Technology offers a BS in Computer Science (BS in CS) with a Concentration in Game Programming that “provides students with the basic concepts involved in the video game development process,” says the school.

Required courses for the program give the student an “introductory knowledge of both 2D and 3D game programming, as well as resource management, concepts of designing games, and general graphics theory.” Electives allow the student to “focus on a particular aspect of game development: game design, game/player interaction, game programming, or graphics.” Course highlights include Advanced Game Programming, Computer Graphics, Algorithms for Robotics, Video Game Design, Game Design as Art, Computer Generated Imagery, and User Experience Design.

A Senior Project and internship opportunities are also part of the program.