| Ranking | School | City | Ranking by Region | National Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan State University | East Lansing | #1 in Midwest | #13 |
| 2 | Ferris State University | Big Rapids and Grand Rapids | #13 in Midwest | Unranked |
| 3 | Eastern Michigan University | Ypsilanti | #14 in Midwest | Unranked |
| 4 | College for Creative Studies | Detroit | #15 in Midwest | Unranked |
| 5 | Lawrence Technological University | Southfield | Unranked | Unranked |
Our 2026 ranking of the top game design school programs in Michigan.
The criteria we used for the animation rankings consists, in no particular order, of the following: Academic reputation, Employment data, Admission selectivity, Depth and breadth of the program, Value as it relates to tuition and indebtedness, Graduation rate, and Retention rate. For an explanation of ranking criteria, click here.
Michigan State University (MSU) provides several paths to study game design. Options include the Games and Interactive Media BA with a focus in Game Design, Game Development, or Games Graphics and Animation; a Game Design and Development (GDD) minor; the Serious Games MA certificate; a STEM-approved Media and Information MA (MI MA) with a focus in Game Design; and BS, MS, and PhD degrees in Computer Science (CS). CS BS students can minor in GDD and/or concentrate in Multimedia and Graphics. MS and PhD students can enroll in the Serious Games certificate program.
All programs are hands-on, with opportunities to work on real-world projects with partners such as Rockstar Games, Blizzard Entertainment, Electronic Arts (EA), Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), and Ubisoft. Other program highlights include internships with places such as Apple, Insomniac Games, and ABC; visiting artist talks; and access to state-of-the-art facilities such as Games for Entertainment and Learning Lab (GEL Lab), the Social and Psychological Approaches to Research on Technology-Interaction Effects (SPARTIE) Lab, and virtual reality (VR) labs.
Students will graduate from the game design programs at MSU with a portfolio of their best work. Across programs, graduates have landed positions at places such as Boeing, Rockstar Games, Disney, Amazon, Electronic Arts (EA), Blizzard Entertainment, Apple, Ubisoft, Insomniac Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), Microsoft, Epic Systems, Google, IBM, and Ford Motor Company.
The following factors contribute to Michigan State University's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 game design school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Elite Recognition by Academic Peers (Tier 1)
Faculty Size: Large Faculty (Tier 2)
Graduate Employment: Exceptional Employment Outcomes (Tier 1)
Admissions Selectivity: Accessible (Tier 4)
Average Net Cost: Moderate Average Net Cost (Tier 3)
Student Indebtedness: Elevated Student debt (Tier 4)
Graduation Rate: Strong Graduation Rate (Tier 2)
First-Year Retention Rate: Exceptional Student Retention After 1 Year (Tier 1)
Ranking Factor Tiers: Tier 1 represents the strongest performance and Tier 5 represents the weakest performance within each ranking factor.
Ferris State University (Ferris State or FSU) houses the College of Business—home to the School of Digital Media, and Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD). Within the School of Digital Media is a Digital Animation and Game Design BAS (DAGD BAS) with a mandatory internship and concentrations in Game Development (GMDV), 3D Animation (AN3D), and General (GDAG).
KCAD houses a flexible Digital Art and Design BFA (DIAD BFA) that allows students to customize a concentration through electives such as 3D Game Art I-II; Concept and Production Art; Interaction Design; Video; and 3D Character Design. Students also have the option to develop portfolios in one or more areas or games.
Other highlights across programs include courses, labs, and studios led by active industry professionals; seminars and immersive workshops; and access to state-of-the-art production facilities. The DAGD BAS program culminates with a capstone project consisting of a market-ready portfolio. The culminating experience for the DIAD BFA is the Digital Art and Design Thesis.
Graduates of the Games and other programs at KCAD have been hired at places such as Epic Games, Disney, Riot Games, Blizzard Entertainment, DreamWorks, Cartoon Network, Warner Bros. Animation, Nickelodeon, Pixar, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Netflix, YouTube, and Deck Nine Games.
The following factors contribute to Ferris State University's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 game design school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Strong Recognition by Academic Peers (Tier 3)
Faculty Size: Small Faculty (Tier 4)
Graduate Employment: Moderate Employment Outcomes (Tier 3)
Admissions Selectivity: Accessible (Tier 4)
Average Net Cost: Minimal Average Net Cost (Tier 1)
Student Indebtedness: Moderate Student Debt (Tier 3)
Graduation Rate: Fair Graduation Rate (Tier 4)
First-Year Retention Rate: Moderate Student Retention After 1 Year (Tier 3)
Ranking Factor Tiers: Tier 1 represents the strongest performance and Tier 5 represents the weakest performance within each ranking factor.
The School of Art and Design at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) houses the Simulation, Animation and Gaming (SAG) BS and 20 credit hour SAG minor. The multidisciplinary SAG BS is a STEM-designated program that highlights courses such as Vector Illustration for SAG; Introduction to Unity I-II; Story Development; Environment Design; Organic Modeling; Graphics for Simulation I-II; and SAG Movement.
Throughout the program, students will also complete several immersive production studios and the Senior Projects in SAG experience to graduate. SAG BS and other EMU alumni can be found at places such as Lockheed Martin, Google, ESPN, CBS, Amazon, Cisco Systems, and Ford Motor Company.
The following factors contribute to Eastern Michigan University's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 game design school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Strong Recognition by Academic Peers (Tier 3)
Faculty Size: Small Faculty (Tier 4)
Graduate Employment: Fair Employment Outcomes (Tier 4)
Admissions Selectivity: Accessible (Tier 4)
Average Net Cost: Low-mid Average Net Cost (Tier 2)
Student Indebtedness: Elevated Student debt (Tier 4)
Graduation Rate: Low Graduation Rate (Tier 5)
First-Year Retention Rate: Fair Student Retention After 1 Year (Tier 4)
Ranking Factor Tiers: Tier 1 represents the strongest performance and Tier 5 represents the weakest performance within each ranking factor.
College for Creative Studies (CCS) recently launched two new initiatives—an in-house render farm, and a collection of student video games released on the world’s largest digital distribution service, Steam. Selected games are from students in the school’s STEM-designated Game Design emphasis. Part of the Entertainment Arts (EA) BFA program, the emphasis highlights a Game Projects course that operates like a real game design studio. Students work in teams to pitch, develop, and execute games projects.
Also a Toom Boon Center of Excellence (COE ) program, the EA BFA features sponsored projects with studios such as Epic Games and Unity 3D; courses taught by Unreal Authorized Instructors (UAI); internships with local and regional studios; access to state-of-the-art facilities including gaming labs and editing suites; and study abroad experiences in places such as Paris, Italy, India, Spain, and Ireland.
The culminating experience for the CCS EA BFA program is the Game Senior Studio. Graduates go on to secure roles at places such as Epic Games, Disney, Paramount, Nickelodeon, and Pixomondo. To date, program alumni have also been credited on more than 15 Marvel movies; Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment); and many of the Batmobiles from the live-action Batman films.
The following factors contribute to College for Creative Studies' position in Animation Career Review's 2026 game design school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Strong Recognition by Academic Peers (Tier 3)
Faculty Size: Mid-Sized Faculty (Tier 3)
Graduate Employment: Fair Employment Outcomes (Tier 4)
Admissions Selectivity: Highly Accessible (Tier 5)
Average Net Cost: Elevated Average Net Cost (Tier 4)
Student Indebtedness: Elevated Student debt (Tier 4)
Graduation Rate: Low Graduation Rate (Tier 5)
First-Year Retention Rate: Moderate Student Retention After 1 Year (Tier 3)
Ranking Factor Tiers: Tier 1 represents the strongest performance and Tier 5 represents the weakest performance within each ranking factor.
Lawrence Technological University (LTU) provides several paths to study game design. Options include the Game Design BFA and minor; a Computer Science BS (CS BS) with a Game Software Development concentration; and the undergraduate Game Software Development certificate. Across programs, students benefit from interdisciplinary project-based curriculums; game studios; internships; and participation in the Game Design Unreal Incubator/CoAD.
Throughout the program, Game Design BFA students will develop original playable games within actual industry development pipelines. CS BS/Game Software Development students will collaborate with Game Design BFA students on team games.
All students can participate in events such as LTUX—the annual campus-wide expo that highlights student game showcases; travel to the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco; participate in costume play (cosplay) workshops, gaming tournaments, and panels; and join student clubs such as Mobius Inventors (MI) and Infinite Machine (IM). Both provide opportunities for students to meet up to work on projects, play games, watch films, and organize fundraisers.
The Game Design BFA culminates with an industry-ready portfolio and demo reel. The CS BS/Game Software Development program culminates with a capstone project consisting of a fully playable game. Final projects may be showcased at LTUX and other events.
Graduates can be found at places such as Electronic Arts (EA), Disney, Epic Games, Amazon, Jackbox Games, Apple, Flyover Games, Pluto Studios, Azure Ravens, Chimera Labs, and Dreaming Door Studios.
The following factors contribute to Lawrence Technological University's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 game design school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Moderate Recognition by Academic Peers (Tier 4)
Faculty Size: Small Faculty (Tier 4)
Graduate Employment: Fair Employment Outcomes (Tier 4)
Admissions Selectivity: Accessible (Tier 4)
Average Net Cost: Elevated Average Net Cost (Tier 4)
Student Indebtedness: Substantial Student Debt (Tier 5)
Graduation Rate: Low Graduation Rate (Tier 5)
First-Year Retention Rate: Moderate Student Retention After 1 Year (Tier 3)
Ranking Factor Tiers: Tier 1 represents the strongest performance and Tier 5 represents the weakest performance within each ranking factor.
