What are the top North Carolina game design programs for 2025?
| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina State University | Raleigh |
| 2 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte |
| 3 | Duke University | Durham |
Our 2025 ranking of the top game design school programs in North Carolina.
For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
1. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
North Carolina State University (NC State) is home to the College of Engineering, which houses the Department of Computer Science (CSC). Within the department is a Computer Science BS (CSC BS) accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET. This engineering- and CSC-based program has a Game Development concentration consisting of 21 credit hours of games-focused courses. Of this, nine credit hours are electives, allowing students to create a focus within the concentration.
CSC BS students also have access to The Digital Games Research center (DGRc). Launched in May 2007, the DGRc explores research and education in games and games technologies. In this collaborative environment, students can work on projects with game developers and game studio teams that focus on everything from artificial intelligence (AI) to mobile games. The DGRc has partnerships and licensing agreements with game studios and game engine developers across the U.S.
Other DGRc features include participation in the Games and Visual Narratives Showcase, and the Game Developers Conference (GDC); access to the new Games and Visual Narrative Suite; and the Visual Narrative Initiative (VNI)—a research cluster established in 2015.
Course examples for the program include Game Engine Foundations; Science Fiction; Computer Graphics; Introduction to Computing – Java; Game Studies; Foundations of Interactive Game Design; Software Engineering; Computer Models of Interactive Narrative; Fantasy; Visual Thinking; C and Software Tools; Communication for Engineering and Technology; Building Game AI; Music Composition with Computers; Automata, Grammars, and Computability; and Computational Visual Narrative.
All CSC BS students must complete the team project in Senior Design as the culminating experience for the program. Projects are supported by the Senior Design Center and industrial sponsors. This means, students will gain valuable experience working with industry representatives.
Graduates of the CSC BS programs at North Carolina State University are prepared to pursue positions at game design studios, technology firms, film studios, advertising agencies, and universities, among others. NC State games and other alumni have been hired at places such as Epic Games, NBC Universal, Apple, Microsoft, IDEO, Razorfish, IBM, Spark Plug Games, BBC, Mighty Rabbit Studios, Duke Energy Corporation, BBC, Pentagram, Yahoo!, SAS Institute, GlaxoSmithKline, Nike Creative, and Cisco.
North Carolina State University was established in 1887 as a land-grant institution focused on agriculture and engineering. Today, the school is a leader in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). With 9,000 faculty and staff members, NC State serves more than 36,000 students, making it the largest university in the University of North Carolina System and one of the largest employers in the state.
Students at NC State have access to more than 300 degree programs across 12 colleges, 68 departments, and The Graduate School. North Carolina State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
2. University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte or Charlotte) hosts an annual Global Game Jam (GGJ) , where student teams have the opportunity to produce games within a 48-hour time period. The school houses the student club known as Game Developers at UNC Charlotte, along with online Bootcamps led by artists from places such as Epic Games, Blizzard Entertainment, Ubisoft, and Electronic Arts (EA). Club activities include collaboration meetings, workshops, and symposium talks.
UNC Charlotte also has several paths to study game design. In addition to clubs, bootcamps, and the GGJ, students in all programs have access to state-of-the-art facilities and labs such as the Gaming Lab at J. Murrey Atkins Library; Gaming and Mixed Reality Lab; UNC MAKERSPACE; Visualization Lab; Interaction Design (INDE) Lab; Intelligent, Multimedia, and Interactive Systems (IMI) Lab; Human Computer Interaction Lab (HCI LAB); UNC Charlotte Machine Learning Lab (CHARMLAB); and the Robotics Lab.
The Game Design programs are provided across two colleges including the College of Computing and Informatics (CCI) and the College of Arts and Architecture. The CCI houses UNC Charlotte’s largest department—Computer Science (CS). Within the department is a Computer Science BS with an AI, Robotics, and Gaming Concentration; a Computer Science MS; and Game Design and Development (GDD) certificates at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Coursework for the certificate programs may be used towards the Computer Science BS or MS programs.
Course examples across programs include Game Design and Development Studio; Advanced Algorithms; Individual Study in AI, Robotics, and Gaming; Computer Graphics; Advanced Game Design and Development; Virtual and Augmented Reality; AI for Computer Games; and Real-Time Rendering Engines.
The College of Arts and Architecture at UNC Charlotte houses the Department of Art and Art History. Within the department is an Art BFA with a Digital Media concentration. This program features advanced studio coursework, allowing students to customize a focus from electives such as Game Design and Graphics; Advanced 3D Modeling; Interactive Art and Design; and 3D Modeling and Animation.
The Art BFA also includes the nine credit hour Senior Experience. Courses include Senior Seminar; Senior Thesis I: Creative Research; and Senior Thesis II: Advanced Creative Practice. The Senior Experience culminates with the BFA Thesis Show (Senior Exhibition).
Graduates of the Computer Science, Game Design, and Digital Media programs at University of North Carolina at Charlotte are prepared to pursue positions in fields such as games and entertainment, animation, simulation and visualization, multimedia, computer science, art and design, programming, advertising, software development, and education.
The East Coast Gaming Conference (ECGC) held at UNC Charlotte provides opportunities to network with game industry professionals. Charlotte Games alumni have been hired at places such as Epic Games, Red Storm Entertainment, Insomniac Games, Lucid Dream, and CrossCom.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public research university and the third largest school in the 16-campus University of North Carolina system. Founded in 1946, the school serves approximately 31,090 students enrolled in more than 200 programs across eight colleges and Interdisciplinary Studies. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
3. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
Duke University (Duke) is home to Pratt School of Engineering. Established in 1966, this immersive institution emphasizes “work” that begins in the very first year through First-Year Design (FYD) and First-Year Computing (FYC) courses. In FYD courses, multidisciplinary teams of students will design and build prototypes based on problems introduced by real-world clients. FYC consists of recently launched courses such as Computing for Engineers, and activities and components that build into larger projects with professional applications.
Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering also houses an industry-centered Master of Engineering (MEng) in Game Design, Development and Innovation (GDDI). This 24-month program includes a mandatory industry internship; interactions with AAA and indie studios such as Insomniac Games, Ubisoft, and Imangi Studios; participation in hands-on training sessions led by professionals from places such as Epic Games; and industry-sponsored projects to help build student portfolios.
Courses for the program focus on core programming and game development courses, combined with electives that align with the student’s goals. The GDDI begins with an optional Pre-Program Bootcamp. Students will then move on core courses including Fundamentals of Game Development; Programming for Game Development; Advanced Game Development; Software Engineering and Systems for Game Development; and Critical Analysis of Video Games.
GDDI students will also take business courses and the Career Strategy and Design course. Elective examples include 3D Animation and MoCap; Mobile Game Development; Serious Games-Leveraging Game Technology to Address Real-World Issues; Virtual and Augmented Reality; Game Engine and Tools Development; Networking and Multiplayer; Artificial Intelligence in Games; and UX and UI Development.
The GDDI MEng program at Duke University culminates with the Game Development Capstone worth three credits. Graduates are prepared to pursue roles in game design, development, and programming, serious games, animation and film, virtual and augmented reality, digital advertising, artificial intelligence, UI/UX, simulations, visualization, audio design, education, research, and consulting.
Nearly 90% of Duke MEng alumni secure employment or further education within six months of graduation. They have been hired by companies and studios such as Microsoft, Disney Interactive, Apple, Sony Computer Entertainment, Google, Amazon, WMS Gaming, Cisco Systems, Jellyvision, Meta, Nori Game Studios, General Motors (GM), Wargaming West, IBM, Northrup Grumman, and American Airlines.
Duke University was established in 1924 by James Buchanan Duk as a memorial to his father, Washington Duke. This private research university school serves approximately 17,500 students enrolled in more than 225 programs across 12 colleges and schools. Duke also house nearly a dozen institutes, initiatives, and centers along with research facilities around the world. Duke University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.