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Lead game designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a lead game designer. Lead game designers usually study graphic design, computer science, or business. 73% of lead game designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 640 real lead game designer resumes to see exactly what lead game designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for lead game designers are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.
There are also many online lead game designer courses to help get the education required to be a lead game designer.
What education do you need to become a lead game designer?
What degree do you need to be a lead game designer?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a lead game designer?
- Graphic Design, 16%
- Computer Science, 14%
- Business, 9%
- Writing, 6%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for lead game designers
| Lead game designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Full Sail University | 13.79% |
| University of Central Florida | 6.90% |
| University of Utah | 6.90% |
| Columbia College Chicago | 5.17% |
| California State University - Chico | 5.17% |
Best majors for lead game designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 16.4% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 13.6% |
| 3 | Business | 8.9% |
| 4 | Writing | 5.6% |
| 5 | Communication | 5.2% |
Best colleges for lead game designers
The best colleges for lead game designers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A lead game designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for lead game designers. 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 lead game designers.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,530
Enrollment
4,571
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
20 best online courses for lead game designers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for lead game designers
The most affordable schools for lead game designers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for lead game designers 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 lead game designers.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
7. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for lead game designers
The hardest universities for lead game designers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for lead game designers 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 lead game designers 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
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead game designers
The easiest schools for lead game designers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and la roche college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lead game designer 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 lead game designers.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
Average lead game designer salary by education level
| Lead game designer education level | Lead game designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $130,828 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $115,647 |
| Doctorate Degree | $131,672 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $94,556 |
Lead game designer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025