| Ranking | School | City | Ranking by Region | National Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Wisconsin–Stout | Menomonie | #6 in Midwest | #36 |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin–Whitewater | Whitewater | #18 in Midwest | Unranked |
The criteria we used for the animation rankings consists, in no particular order, of the following: Academic reputation, Employment data, Admission selectivity, Depth and breadth of the program, Value as it relates to tuition and indebtedness, Graduation rate, and Retention rate. For an explanation of ranking criteria, click here.
University of Wisconsin-Stout (UW-Stout) is home to the first and only Game Design and Development (GDD) BFA in the upper Midwest (Wisconsin-Iowa-Minnesota). UW-Stout also offers a GDD concentration for students in the Computer Science BS (CS BS) program, and a Design MFA with a GDD focus. The CS BS is a charter member of the Higher Education Video Game Alliance.
Highlights across programs include access to state-of-the-art production facilities; collaborative studios; faculty-led trips to LA and San Francisco; internships and paid co-op experiences; participation in game conferences and competitions, exhibitions, and festivals; industry projects with the Jim Henson Company and the National Park Service; and hundreds of study abroad programs across 40+ countries.
Programs culminate with a final project and portfolio. Graduates have been hired at places such as DreamWorks, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts (EA), Lockheed Martin, Disney, Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon, Cisco, Apple, HP, Raven Software, and Afterverse.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UW-Whitewater) provides a number of programs for game designers. Options are housed across the College of Arts and Communication’s Department of Art and Design (DAD), and the Department of Computer Science (DCS) in the College of Letters and Sciences. DAD programs include the Media Arts and Game Development (MAGD) BA and BS. All MAGD majors can choose from three emphasis areas including Communication/Gaming; Gaming Technology; and Media Arts. Communication/Gaming, and Gaming Technology are offered as minors, and a Digital Game Artist certificate is also available.
DCS programs include the Computer Science (CS) BA, BS, and minor. A Game Development emphasis is open to all CS students, as well as the MAGD Communication/Gaming minor. Across all programs, students have opportunities to participate in regional game design expos and competitions such as the MAGD Expo and M-Dev. Held annually at UW-Whitewater, the MAGD Expo hosts industry leaders who have developed games such as Madden NFL, God of War, Assassin’s Creed, and Transformers.
Other program highlights include participation in weekend-long game jams; access to state-of-the-art production facilities; internships at local studios or in the UW-Whitewater Digital Media Lab; team-based projects; study abroad experiences that allows students to collaborate virtually with students at HAN University of Applied Sciences, then travel to Holland to complete the game; and participation in student organizations such as GAMED (Game and Media Entertainment Developers), the Gaming Group of Whitewater, Super Smash Bros Club, and the Animation Club.
All programs culminate with the Senior Capstone. Graduates have been hired at places such as Amazon, Warner Bros. Interactive, Bethesda, Google, Obsidian Entertainment, IBM, Epic Systems, Infosys, High Voltage Software, PerBlue, Filament Games, Raven Software, Image 360, Blue Yonder, and Kohler Co.
