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Video game developer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a video game developer. Video game developers usually study computer science, photography, or marketing. 69% of video game developers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 162 real video game developer resumes to see exactly what video game developer education sections show.
The most common colleges for video game developers are the University of Washington and the University of Washington.
There are also many online video game developer courses to help get the education required to be a video game developer.
What education do you need to become a video game developer?
What degree do you need to be a video game developer?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 11%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a video game developer?
- Computer Science, 21%
- Photography, 10%
- Marketing, 7%
- Graphic Design, 7%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for video game developers
| Video game developer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Washington | 14.29% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 10.71% |
| University of Houston | 7.14% |
| California Institute of the Arts | 7.14% |
| Yale University | 7.14% |
Best majors for video game developers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Science | 20.5% |
| 2 | Photography | 9.6% |
| 3 | Marketing | 6.8% |
| 4 | Graphic Design | 6.8% |
| 5 | Mathematics | 5.5% |
Best colleges for video game developers
The best colleges for video game developers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A video game developer 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 developers. 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 developers.
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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$55,453
Enrollment
4,312
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
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 video game developers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for video game developers
The most affordable schools for video game developers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for video game developers 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 developers.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
10. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for video game developers
The hardest universities for video game developers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for video game developers 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 developers 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
6. Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
14%
SAT average
1,531
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for video game developers
The easiest schools for video game developers to get into are Barry University, la roche college, and cardinal stritch university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a video game developer 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 developers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
3. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
6. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
7. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
8. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. Salem State University
Salem, MA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,065
Average video game developer salary by education level
| Video game developer education level | Video game developer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $110,517 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $97,512 |
| Doctorate Degree | $111,241 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $79,488 |
Video game developer 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