| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Denver | Denver |
| 2 | Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design | Denver |
| 3 | University of Colorado-Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs |
Our 2022 ranking of the top game design school programs in Colorado. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
Game Design at the University of Denver (DU) takes place in the Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science. Specific degree programs are part of the Ritchie School’s Computer Science (CS) Department. CS students may specialize in just about any area. Other department highlights include small class sizes, coursework in modern software engineering with classes taught by faculty members who are active in research, and access to student-run, synergetic clubs such as the DU Game Developers Society, DU Esports, Women in Technology, and DU Computer Science.
Available undergraduate programs include BA degrees in Applied Computing and Game Development, and BS degrees in Computer Science and Game Development. Graduate options include the MS and PhD in Computer Science. Course examples across programs include 3D Modeling, Game Programming, Game Design, Machine Learning, Programming Languages, Multimedia Systems, and Operating Systems.
Undergraduate Ritchie School CS programs include a Game Capstone where students will work in teams to conceptualize, design, test, and debug an industry-ready game. In addition to learning about the game design process from start to finish, DU CS students will develop group collaboration and researching skills.
Both graduate and undergraduate CS students will have opportunities to participate in experiential learning opportunities, the study abroad and internship programs, and cooperative education. Recent University of Denver internship employers include The Walt Disney Company, NBC Universal, Oracle, Ball Aerospace, and Charter Communications.
University of Denver CS alumni work in all 50 states and across 145 countries. They are game designers and developers, software engineers, multimedia artists, game programmers, and entrepreneurs.
University of Denver is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). Founded in 1864 as the Colorado Seminary, DU serves around 12,000 students enrolled in more than 200 degree programs in 10 colleges and schools.
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD) offers a 124 credit hour BFA in Game Art. The curriculum includes 15 Art History credits, 30 in Liberal Arts, 24 in Foundations, 48 Core credits, and six Studio Elective credits.
Courses are taught by working professionals in the industry. Course examples for the program include Character Rigging and Animation, Level Design, Visual Storytelling, 3D Modeling, Lighting & Texture, and Business Ethics and Copyrights. Learning takes place in a collaborative environment that allows students to interact with artists from different programs.
Game Art BFA alumni hold positions such as Game Designer, Concept Artist, Rigger, Interactive Media Designer, Motion Graphics Designer, and 3D Character Modeler, among others.
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) and nationally accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Established in 1963 as Rocky Mountain School of Art, RMCAD serves more than 1,000 students enrolled in 16 degree and certificate programs offered in campus/hybrid and online formats.
University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS) houses the College of Engineering and Applied Science, home to the Department of Computer Science, which offers a BA in Computer Science (BACS) with a Game Design (GD) Track, a Bachelor of Innovation (BITM) in Game Design and Development (GDD), and Minors in Game Programming + 3D and Game Design (GD). An interdisciplinary MS in Computer Science-Media Convergence, Games and Media Integration (MSCS-GMI) is available as well.
Both Minor Programs consist of 21 credit hours of study. Students in the BACS Program have the option to complete the Game Programming + 3D or Game Design Minor, OR the Game Design, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, or Cybersecurity Track, OR a second major such as GDD. In addition to Game Design, the BACS GD Track covers game theory, game development, game testing and distribution, user interfaces, and graphics.
The BACS Program focuses on computer applications, and software design and development. Course examples include Programming with C, Python Programming, Design & Analysis of Algorithms, Advanced Software Engineering, and Programming with UNIX.
The UCCS BITM in GDD prepares students for careers in traditional games for entertainment, serious games, and casual games. The curriculum focuses on game design and development, programming, and technical design. The program also explores other areas such as music, art, and other areas. Course examples for the program include Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Games, Game Design for Diverse Populations, Team-Based Game testing and Deployment, and Commercial Game Design Practicum.
The UCCS MSCS-GMI Program allows students to pursue a specialization through electives and the development of an industrial portfolio with an interdisciplinary focus. However, the program includes required courses such as Advanced 3D Games and Digital Content Creation, Computer Graphics, and Design and Analysis of Algorithms. Electives are plentiful and include options such as Computer Graphics Animation & Scientific Visualization Techniques, Virtual Reality and Computer-Human Interaction, Computer Communication, Wearable Computing and Complex Systems, and Computability, Automata, and Formal Languages.
MSCS students will complete a final project to be submitted to virtual reality and HCI interaction conferences, the Game Developers Conference (GDC), SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival, the International Symposium on Wearable Computing (ISWC), and many other related events worldwide.
Graduates of the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Computer Science and Games Programs have been recruited for salaried positions by major game design studios, they have created commercial games for a variety of companies and studios as independent designers, and they have launched their own businesses and studios.
University of Colorado-Colorado Springs is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). Founded in 1965, UCCS serves more than 12,000 students from across the U.S. and more than 80 nations. University of Colorado-Colorado Springs offers 53 undergraduate degree options, 24 master’s degrees, and eight doctoral programs housed in six colleges and schools.
