Game tester education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a game tester?

You need a high school diploma to be a game tester. There is no formal education requirement to be eligible to test games. However, completing either an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree would be very helpful for gaining employment in the field of game testing. Typically, most game testers earn at least a bachelor's degree. The most common fields of study for someone wanting to become a game tester are computer science and software development. Other viable degree options are graphic design, business, or animation. Game testing is a very competitive job market. Having a degree, specifically one in something like computer science, will make you more attractive to potential employers. Having a degree can also help with career advancement if you ever choose to enter the world of game development or design. Another thing that employers tend to look for is that you have a genuine interest in video games. If you are a gamer who has a wide array of knowledge and experience with different games, this will also help make you more competitive when looking for a job.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a game tester. Game testers usually study computer science, graphic design, or business. 54% of game testers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 894 real game tester resumes to see exactly what game tester education sections show.

The most common colleges for game testers are the Bellevue College and the Bellevue College.

There are also many online game tester courses to help get the education required to be a game tester.

What education do you need to become a game tester?

What degree do you need to be a game tester?

The most common degree for game testers is bachelor's degree, with 54% of game testers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 18%.

Bachelor's, 54%

Associate, 20%

High School Diploma, 18%

Master's, 3%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a game tester?

You should major in computer science to become a game tester. 18% of game testers major in computer science. Other common majors for a game tester include graphic design and business.

Computer Science, 18%

Graphic Design, 17%

Business, 6%

Animation, 6%

Other Majors, 53%

Most common colleges for game testers

Game testers often get their degrees at Bellevue College, Full Sail University, and DeVry University. Here are the most common colleges for game testers in the US based on their resumes.

Game tester common college	Percentages
Bellevue College	10.66%
Full Sail University	9.84%
DeVry University	9.84%
DigiPen Institute of Technology	9.02%
University of Washington	8.20%

Show more common game tester colleges

Best majors for game testers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	18.2%
2	Graphic Design	17.5%
3	Business	6.3%
4	Animation	5.9%
5	English	5.6%

Show more common game tester majors

Best colleges for game testers

The best colleges for game testers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

A game tester with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for game testers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become game testers.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

9. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$58,230

Enrollment

6,600

10. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

20 best online courses for game testers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for game testers

The most affordable schools for game testers are California State University - Long Beach, brigham young university, and queens college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for game testers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for game testers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

4. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

5. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

6. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. Brigham Young University - Hawaii

Laie, HI • Private

In-state tuition

$5,560

Cost of attendance

18,043

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for game testers

The hardest universities for game testers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for game testers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for game testers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for game testers

The easiest schools for game testers to get into are La Roche College, cardinal stritch university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a game tester without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for game testers.

1. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

2. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

5. Baker University

Baldwin City, KS • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,126

6. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

7. Longwood University

Farmville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,065

8. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

9. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average game tester salary by education level

According to our data, game testers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $40,661 annually. Game testers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $40,312.

Game tester education level	Game tester salary
Master's Degree	$40,312
Bachelor's Degree	$34,173
Doctorate Degree	$40,661
Some College/ Associate Degree	$26,094

Game tester education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a game tester?

What is the best college for Game Testers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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