| Ranking | School | State |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University | Arizona |
| 2 | University of Texas at Austin | Texas |
| 3 | University of North Texas | Texas |
| 4 | University of Colorado, Boulder | Colorado |
| 5 | Texas A&M University | Texas |
Our 2025 rankings of the Top 5 graduate UX/UI/HCI school programs in the Southwest. We define the Southwest as Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. For an explanation of ranking criteria, click here.
Arizona State University’s (ASU) Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering is the nation’s largest engineering program and home to the User Experience MS (UX MS). This STEM-designated program can be completed on campus or online. Course examples include User Experience; Usability and User Experience; and Foundations of Human Systems Engineering. The program culminates with a UX capstone project. Graduates can be found at places such as Amazon, Intel, Apple, Dell, and Google.
The School of Information (ISchool) at University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) houses an Information Studies MS (MSIS) program that allows students to customize a plan of study from 17 different options. Examples include User Experience (UX) Design; Human-Centered Data Science; and User Experience (UX) Research. The program also allows students to obtain one or more certifications and earn a dual degree. Other program benefits include internship opportunities; access to two labs including the Information eXperience Lab (IX Lab) and the Immersive Human Development Lab; and study abroad experiences in places such as Japan and South Korea. UT Austin graduates are routinely hired at places such as IBM, Lockheed Martin, Amazon, Dell, Boeing, Goldman Sachs, Chevron, EY, Wells Fargo, GM, and Accenture.
The Department of Design at University of North Texas (UNT) houses the only Interaction Design (IxD) MA in the North Texas region. Part of UNT’s College of Visual Arts and Design (CVAD), the department also highlights hands-on projects with real clients; cross-disciplinary curriculums; courses taught by professionals in the field; internships; and opportunities to interact with industry experts through workshops and campus events. The culminating experience for the IxD MA is the Interaction Design Inception-to-Pitch Capstone Project. Graduates go on establish careers at places such as Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Capital One, Goldman Sachs, American Airlines, JPMorgan Chase, and RTX Corporation.
The Atlas Institute at University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) houses a Creative Design and Technology (CTD) MS program with a Creative Industries track. Program highlights include hands-on project-based learning, technology-focused electives, industry collaboration, and workshops covering topics such as UI/UX, motion graphics, and programming in Python and R. Through electives, students may focus in an area such as UI/UX, human-computer interaction (HCI), interactive product design and development or game design. Graduates go on to establish careers at places such as Lockheed Martin, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, NVIDIA, Cisco, DISH, Activision Blizzard, The North Face, and Expedia.
The College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts at Texas A&M University (TAMU) is home to the interdisciplinary Visualization MFA and MS programs. Both options allow students to select from eight emphasis areas. Examples include User Experience Design, Interactive Design, Data Visualization, and Virtual/Augmented Reality. The MS has thesis and non-thesis options. The MFA culminates with an exhibition and defense of the student’s body of work. Graduates are prepared to pursue leadership roles across industries. TAMU Visualization alumni and others can be found at places such as Amazon, DreamWorks, Microsoft, Electronic Arts (EA), Deloitte, IBM, The Walt Disney Company, Pixar, and Dell.
