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Video game creator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a video game creator. Video game creators usually study photography, communication, or music. 76% of video game creators hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 73 real video game creator resumes to see exactly what video game creator education sections show.

The most common colleges for video game creators are the University of North Alabama and the University of North Alabama.

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

What education do you need to become a video game creator?

What degree do you need to be a video game creator?

The most common degree for video game creators is bachelor's degree, with 76% of video game creators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 76%
  • Master's, 11%
  • High School Diploma, 9%
  • Associate, 4%

What should I major in to become a video game creator?

You should major in photography to become a video game creator. 15% of video game creators major in photography. Other common majors for a video game creator include communication and music.

Most common colleges for video game creators

Video game creators often get their degrees at University of North Alabama, Indiana University Bloomington, and University of California - Davis. Here are the most common colleges for video game creators in the US based on their resumes.
Video game creator common collegePercentages
University of North Alabama12.00%
Indiana University Bloomington8.00%
University of California - Davis8.00%
University of Phoenix8.00%
New York University4.00%

Best majors for video game creators

RankMajorPercentages
1Photography15.0%
2Communication10.0%
3Music10.0%
4Journalism7.5%
5Liberal Arts7.5%

Best colleges for video game creators

The best colleges for video game creators are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A video game creator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for video game creators. 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 video game creators.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for video game creators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for video game creators

The most affordable schools for video game creators are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.

If the best universities for video game creators 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 video game creators.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for video game creators

The hardest universities for video game creators to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for video game creators 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 video game creators 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for video game creators

The easiest schools for video game creators to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a video game creator 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 video game creators.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

Average video game creator salary by education level

According to our data, video game creators with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $78,654 annually. Video game creators with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $77,635.
Video game creator education levelVideo game creator salary
Master's Degree$77,635
Bachelor's Degree$60,436
Doctorate Degree$78,654
Some College/ Associate Degree$40,156

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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