| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | Newark |
| 2 | Rutgers University | Camden |
| 3 | The College of New Jersey | Ewing |
| 4 | Stevens Institute of Technology | Hoboken |
| 5 | Fairleigh Dickinson University | Madison |
Our 2022 ranking of the top game design school programs in New Jersey. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
New Jersey Institute of Technology offers a multidisciplinary game development program combined between the Hillier College of Architecture & Design (HCAD) and the Ying Wu College of Computing (YWCC) that blends digital design, virtual and augmented reality and applications in artificial intelligence. In this cross-college initiative, students have their choice of several tracks and degree programs.
Options include the BA, MA, and MFA in Digital Design, a BA in Computer Science, and BS degrees in Information Technology and Computer Science. An online MS and Graduate Certificate in Computer Science are also available. Across programs, students can expect to take immersive courses such as 3D Character Development, Game Architecture and Design, Advanced game Production, Simulated Environments, 3D Game Engine Programming, Modification Programing, Virtual Reality Design, Educational Game Design, and WebGL Programming.
Graduates of the Game Development Program at New Jersey Institute of Technology have work in game design, development, and programming, animation, graphic design, architectural and environment visualization, web design, and storyboard art, among other areas. NJIT students have interned or worked full-time at studios such as Tripwire Interactive, SWDTech Games, NTropic, SUSPECT vfx+design, 1st Avenue Machine, KWD – Kim Wendell Design, CSALAS & Co Labs, and Miskowski Design,
New Jersey Institute of Technology is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Established in 1881 as Newark Technical School, New Jersey Institute of Technology serves more than 11,400 students. This polytechnic university offers 126 degree programs in six colleges and schools.
Rutgers University – Camden (Rutgers – Camden) houses the School of Communication and Information. The Information Technology and Informatics (ITI) Program here offers an ITI Game Production and Innovation Specialization that trains students to design and develop video games. Areas explored in this Guided Pathway include animation and visual design, game methodology and design, game production, and management of game development teams and projects.
The ITI Major requires 39 credits, including 18 credits of required courses and 21 credits of electives. Course examples include Digital Game Creation (Game Design), Social Impacts of Video Gaming, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and Game Design Methodology. A Senior Thesis and Experiential-Learning course are also part of the program.
Other Rutgers ITI features include access to internship opportunities after completing 24 credits, independent study options, participation in the ITI Showcase, and the option to enroll in the ITI/Master of Information (MI) dual degree pathway. The ITI/MI allows students to complete the BS and MI degrees in just five years of continuous study.
Graduates of the Rutgers University – Camden ITI Programming are prepared to pursue careers in game design, development, and programming, game production, software design and development, web design, and HCI, among others.
Rutgers University - Camden is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Established in 1926 as South Jersey Law School, Rutgers - Camden serves around 7,230 students enrolled in nearly 70 degree programs in the Schools of Business and Nursing, Rutgers Law School, Camden College of Arts and Sciences, and the Graduate School-Camden.
The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) houses the School of the Arts and Communication, home to the Department of Design and Creative Technology, which offers a BA in Interactive Multimedia (IMM). The program has six focus areas: Games and Playable Media, Creative Coding, Visual Storytelling and Animation, Culture and technology, Music Technology, and Digital Fabrications. IMM BA students may choose two focus areas, and a minor or second major in Computer Science, Art, Graphic Design, Communications, or Business. Business, Communications, or Graphic Design.
Students who choose the Games and Playable Media focus area will have access to courses such Games I: Design & Architecture, Games II: Implementation and Project Management, Intro to Interactive Computing, Special Topic: Game Studies and Design or Delightful Little Games, and Independent Study in Game Design. Students often pair Creative Coding with Games and Playable Media. Course examples include Interactive Music Programming, Physical Computing, Dynamic Web Applications, Mobile Computing, Introduction to Interactive Computing, and Design Fundamentals for the Web.
Students in all TCNJ Department of Design Programs have opportunities to gain experience through the internship program at The College of New Jersey. TCNJ students have interned at companies and studios such as Amazon, DreamWorks, and NFL Films.
Graduates of The College of New Jersey IMM BA Program work at Nickelodeon, TIME, and MakerBot, among others. Some program alumni have gone on to pursue graduate study at top schools such as New York University (NYU), Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), and School of Visual Arts (SVA).
The College of New Jersey is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Established in 1855 as the New Jersey State Normal School, TCNJ serves approximately 7,400 students enrolled in more than 50 programs in seven schools.
The College of Arts and Letters at Stevens Institute of Technology houses the Visual Arts & Technology Program, which has BA and Minor options. The program consists of an immersive, interdisciplinary curriculum, hands-on learning and projects in the Scene Lab, Visual Arts and Tech Studio, and the Visual Arts Lab, and access to the Stevens Game Development Club.
Stevens BA students will have the opportunity to choose a concentration. Options include Game Design, Creative Computation, Moving Image, and Design. All concentration areas provide the opportunity to study games. Students in all areas will also take Computer Science, Creative Studio I-II, Observational Drawing, Foundations in Creative Software, Moving Image: In Space, and Foundation 4D. Course examples across concentrations include Game Design I-III, Creative Programming I-III, Design I-II, Moving Image: Advanced projects, Motion Graphics, and 3D Modeling. A Professional Workshop and year-long Capstone are also part of the program.
Graduates of the Stevens Institute of Technology BA in Visual Arts & Technology are Game Developers, Creative Directors, UI/UX Designers, and Software Engineers. Program alumni have been hired at Comcast, ABC, CNBC, IBM, Nokia Bell Labs, BuzzFeed, Live Nation, and Guinness World Records, among others.
Stevens Institute of Technology (Stevens) has been continually accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education since 1927. The school was established in 1870, making it one of the oldest technology universities in the U.S. Stevens employs 335 full-time faculty and 600+ staff members that serve nearly 8,300 students. More than 100 programs are offered in three schools and the College of Arts and Letters.
Maxwell Becton College of Arts and Sciences at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) houses the School of Art, which offers two undergraduate programs students interested in studying games: the BA in Film and Animation with a Concentration in Video Game Animation and a 15 credit hour Minor in 3D Video Game Animation. At the graduate level, the School of Art offers MA and MFA degrees with a Concentration in Video Games.
For students seeking a fast track program, the School of Art has a BA Film/MA Animation and BA Film/MFA Animation with a Concentration in Video Game Animation. Students in both programs will begin taking graduate level courses in their senior year to complete the BA/MA or BA/MFA in five years, instead of six.
Course examples (required and electives) across programs include Game Design, Low Poly 3D Modeling, 3D Game Creation Using Unreal and Unity, Character Animation Using CAT, ZBrush Digital Sculpting, 3D Asset Creation for Video Games, Design & Development of Video Games, Advanced After Effects, Vector Animation, and 3D Particle Animation and Effects.
All FDU Games students may participate in FDU’s internship program, which provides opportunities to work at major studios and networks such as DreamWorks, Viacom, Nickelodeon, NBC Universal, MTV, and ABC. Graduates of the Fairleigh Dickinson University Games Programs are often hired by many of these companies.
FDU graduates have also been hired at Marvel Comics, Sony Pictures Imageworks, High Five Games, Tribe Pictures, Pixel Light Digital Media, Skyline Entertainment, Whisper Productions, and Verizon, among others.
Fairleigh Dickinson University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Established in 1942, FDU was the first American university to own and operate an overseas campus (Wroxton College in Oxfordshire, UK), and the world’s first comprehensive university to require all undergraduates to take distance learning courses. Serving more than 12,000 students enrolled in more than 100 programs, FDU is also New Jersey’s largest private university.
