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Level designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a level designer. Level designers usually study graphic design, computer science, or computer applications. 75% of level designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 587 real level designer resumes to see exactly what level designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for level designers are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.
There are also many online level designer courses to help get the education required to be a level designer.
What education do you need to become a level designer?
What degree do you need to be a level designer?
- Bachelor's, 75%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a level designer?
- Graphic Design, 40%
- Computer Science, 12%
- Other Majors, 37%
Most common colleges for level designers
| Level designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Full Sail University | 31.03% |
| Academy of Art University | 5.75% |
| DeVry University | 5.75% |
| DigiPen Institute of Technology | 4.60% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 4.60% |
Best majors for level designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 39.8% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 12.0% |
| 3 | Computer Applications | 6.2% |
| 4 | Drafting And Design | 5.4% |
| 5 | Photography | 5.0% |
Best colleges for level designers
The best colleges for level designers are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
A level 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 level 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 level designers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for level designers
Advertising disclosure
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4. Product Design
Learn the steps you need to turn an idea into reality. By the end of this course you’ll learn how to bring an idea from concept to hand off for development and onto creation of a prototype...
5. Level Design Master Class: All in One Complete Course
Everything you need to become a Professional Level Designer in the Game Industry...
6. Become a Game Designer the Complete Series Coding to Design
Master Unity, 3D game design, 2D game design, coding, C#, game development, 3D animation, programming, level design.....
7. Visual Design (Part Time)
Gain the vocabulary and tools to tackle diverse design challenges on the job. Kickstart your portfolio and create beautiful, responsive designs for the web. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
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18. User Experience Design & User Interface Design Fundamentals
Learn the basics of successful User Experience Design and User Interface Design...
19. The Ultimate 2D Game Character Design & Animation Course
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20. Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design
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Top 10 most affordable universities for level designers
The most affordable schools for level designers are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, lehman college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for level 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 level designers.
1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
2. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
10. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for level designers
The hardest universities for level designers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for level 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 level 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for level designers
The easiest schools for level designers to get into are Cardinal Stritch University, la roche college, and linfield college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a level 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 level designers.
1. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
2. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
3. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Longwood University
Farmville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,065
7. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
8. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
9. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
10. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Winona, MN • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,148
Average level designer salary by education level
| Level designer education level | Level designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $119,227 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $106,838 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $93,277 |
Level designer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025