Best Universities for Game Design and Development in the World

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Throughout its history, MIT has been one of the world’s premier institutions for science and technology as well as for game development. As an aspiring game developer, you can customize your degree program by getting in touch with the MIT Game Lab, which is run by the Department of Comparative Media Studies.

As making video games incorporates many areas of expertise, the Game Lab lets you take courses in computer science, media studies, psychology, and business. You will be awarded either an undergraduate or graduate degree in comparative media studies while gaining expertise in multiple fields.

2. Stanford University

Studying in an excellent game development school in the world, Stanford University gives you both the technical knowledge you need to develop games and a supportive environment to help you bring them to the world. The College of Engineering offers computer science courses at the undergraduate, graduate, and PhD levels. Besides its regular computer science programs, Stanford also has several free video lectures specifically about game design. This is a great place to start if you’d like to explore the field without having to commit.

3. Carnegie Mellon University

While Carnegie Mellon University offers computer science programs at all levels of education, its flagship program for game development is its Master of Entertainment Technology, which is offered through the Entertainment Technology Center. This program is unique to Carnegie Mellon. It emphasizes a collaborative approach to game development and encourages individual innovation.

4. National University of Singapore

Given that Asia is at the forefront of video game development and consumption, it’s no surprise to find one of its best universities on this list. The National University of Singapore is known for its excellence in computer science and is considered as a leading school for game development in the world, thus should be strongly considered if you’re looking for a career in game development.

NUS Computing offers a wide range of undergraduate programs, but the most relevant one if you want to work with video games is the Bachelor of Computing in Computer Science since it lets you take a whole module in game development. You can even pair it with a Minor in Interactive Media Development.

5. ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich’s Department of Computer Science is one of the best of its kind both in Europe and around the world. It offers programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and PhD levels that give students the tools they need to design games.

While ETH Zurich does not have a dedicated game development specialization, its Game Technology Center offers courses, supports projects by students, and regularly hosts talks by industry leaders. It also has ties to the Zurich University of the Arts, which offers a fully-fledged game design program. It should be noted that this program is taught in German.