2023

What is the top Vermont game design program for 2023?

Top Vermont Game Design Schools - 2023 College Rankings
RankingSchoolCity
1Champlain CollegeBurlington

Our 2023 ranking of the top game design school program in Vermont. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.

1. Champlain College, Burlington, Vermont
Champlain College

Champlain College is home to The Game Studio, which consists of six collaborative majors with courses taught by game industry experts. Studio highlights include small class sizes, interdisciplinary, career-focused curriculums, and collaboration in a studio setting that mirrors today’s professional studio environments. Game Studio Majors include Game Art, Game Design, Game Programming, Game Production Management, Game Business & Publishing, and Game Sound Design. All majors lead to a BS and a Game Programming Minor consisting of 18 credit hours is also available.

Students in all Champlain Game Studio Majors will develop a number of games that may be presented to recruiters from major studios such as Activision, Warner Bros., and Gameloft. BS students will also have opportunities to network with representatives from other major studios such as Sony, Insomniac, Rockstar, ArenaNet, Survios, Ubisoft, and Crystal Dynamics. Champlain College alumni have enjoyed a 93% employment (or graduate school) rate within six months of graduation for the past six years.

The Division of Communication & Creative Media (CCM) at Champlain College has an additional option for game designers—the Creative Media BFA. This unique program features a Game Media Concentration and an “Upside-Down Curriculum” that allows students to begin taking Creative Media courses in their first semester. Game Media students will explore game engine creation, the game production pipeline, and game industry software.

Course examples for the program include Game technology, Level Design, Game Systems & Experience: Design, Interactive Storytelling, Computer Theory, and Advanced Seminar. All students are encouraged to participate in the Champlain Study Abroad Program, which highlights experiences in Montreal, Canada, with internship opportunities at the Montreal Game Summit and the Montreal International Game Developers Association. Game Studio students also have opportunities to intern at places such as Xbox Game Studios and Wired Magazine.

Champlain also provides access to faculty-led travel courses lasting one-two weeks, and study abroad experiences in Argentina, China, Italy, New Zealand, and Scotland. Through approved third-party programs, CCM students have also studied abroad in Australia, Brazil, England, France, Portugal, and South Africa.

Graduates of the CCM Program at Champlain College enjoy a 92% employment (or graduate school) rate within six months after graduation. Recent graduates have been hired at places such as Micropup Games, Gabb Global, and Louisiana Children’s Museum.

Established in 1878, Champlain College serves 2,100 students from 40 states and 18 countries. Students have access to 111 subject areas including undergraduate majors, minors, concentrations, and design-your-own-major. In addition to Champlain’s main campus in Burlington, Vermont, the school has campuses in Montreal, Canada and Dublin, Ireland. Champlain College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

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