
Gaming is one of the fastest growing (and lucrative) career fields today. In fact, many salary reporting agencies state that the average salary for game designers & developers is around $80,000 per year. Senior level gaming professionals may earn six figures or more per year. In addition, analysts expect the gaming industry to generate more than $68 billion in business in 2012. This is no surprise considering the number of Americans that engage in video game play. At last count, more than 65 percent of U.S. households played video games on a regular basis.
The industry employs hundreds of thousands of professionals, with more than 200,000 game designers working in the field today. Although the population of salaried game professionals is high, the demand is still higher than ever. Fortunately, colleges and universities across the country now offer outstanding programs for aspiring game designers & developers. In the state of North Dakota, one school is at the top of the list.
The University of North Dakota at Grand Forks (UND Grand Forks) offers a
B. S. in Computer Science with a Specialization in Game Development and Computer Animation as well as a B.S. in Graphic Design Technology, a B. F. A. in Graphic Design and New Art Media, and a B.F.A. in Visual Arts with Emphasis in Time-Based Media. Tuition for the 2011-2012 school year was around $7,092 for undergraduate residents, and $16,767 for undergraduate nonresidents. Game design & development students may also have to pay lab (studio) fees and production costs for projects.
Established in 1883, the University of North Dakota (UND) is a liberal arts college and national public research university. It sits on 550 lush acres and is home to 14,697 students (Fall 2011). UND offers 200 fields of study from baccalaureate through doctoral and professional degrees. The school attracts students from all over the world, with fifty-nine percent of the student body representing 50 nations and eight Canadian provinces.
More Programs to Consider:
- San Francisco & Online
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#15) - 2020
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#23) - 2020
- Top 40 Nationally for Illustration (#29) - 2020
- Atlanta, Georgia; Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and SCAD eLearning
- Animation – BFA, MA, MFA
- Film and Television – BFA, MA, MFA
- Graphic Design – BA, BFA, MA, MFA
- Illustration – BA, BFA, MA, MFA
- Immersive Reality - BFA
- Interactive Design and Game Development – BA, BFA, MA, MFA
- Motion Media Design – BFA, MA, MFA
- Sequential Art – BA, BFA, MA, MFA
- Visual Effects – BFA, MA, MFA
- User Experience (UX) Design – BFA
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#3) - 2020
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#12) - 2020
- Top 50 Nationally for Graphic Design (#9) - 2020
- Top 40 Nationally for Illustration (#9) - 2020
- Winter Park, FL & Online
- Computer Animation - Bachelor's - Online & Campus
- Game Programs - Bachelor's & Master's - Online & Campus
- Graphic Design & Digital Arts - Bachelor's - Online & Campus
- Film & Digital Cinematography - Bachelor's & Master's - Online & Campus
- Mobile Development - Bachelor's - Online
- Simulation & Visualization - Bachelor's - Campus
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#19) - 2020
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#17) - 2020
- Top 5 in Florida for Graphic Design (#4) - 2020
- Online
Sources
Peterson’s, www.petersons.com
Princeton Review, www.princetonreview.com
U.S. News & World Report College Rankings, www.usnews.com/rankings