RIT game design and development programs ranked among top 10

Rochester Institute of Technology is one of the top 10 universities for students looking to land their dream job as a game designer, according to new international rankings from The Princeton Review.

RIT’s game design and development program was ranked sixth at the undergraduate level and eighth at the graduate level. RIT’s programs are housed in the School of Interactive Games and Media (IGM) within the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.

“Our students, faculty, staff, and alumni are not only game-makers—they are game-changers,” said David Schwartz, director of RIT’s School of Interactive Games and Media (IGM). “Our growing portfolio of games-related programs prepare students to leverage game technologies in any career they are seeking.”

RIT offers several paths for aspiring game designers, including bachelor’s degrees, a master’s in game design and development, and an accelerated BS/MS option. Computing and information sciences Ph.D. students are also specializing in games research.

RIT students can also develop and commodify games at the university’s MAGIC Center. The studio supports the entrepreneurial ambitions of students and faculty who are seeking to publish and distribute films, games, and interactive experiences or start new digital media businesses.

In a press release, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief noted that students in the top game design programs gain exceptional experience, including:

• About 75 percent of the students in the programs worked on a shipped game as part of their studies.
• Nearly all of the students in the programs developed an actionable plan to launch a functional game after graduation. At undergraduate programs, that figure was 97 percent. At graduate programs, it was 96 percent.
• The average starting salary of students completing their game design studies with a bachelor’s degree from the schools was $64,065. The average starting salary of students with a master’s degree from the schools was $73,947.

Students at RIT get to take part in cooperative education—full-time paid work experiences that provide an opportunity to learn on the job in real-world industry settings. With help from the co-op program, graduates of RIT’s game design and development programs have started careers at companies including Rockstar Games, Cartoon Network, Electronic Arts, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Epic Games, and Microsoft.

The Princeton Review tallied the 2024 ranking based on a survey of administrators at 150 institutions offering game design courses and/or degrees. Most of the institutions are in the U.S., while two are in Canada and four are abroad. The survey covered four areas: academics, faculty, technology, and career topics.

The full lists, which name the “Top 50” undergraduate and “Top 25” graduate schools, are posted on the Top Game Design Schools 2024 website. There, users can also review the methodology and profiles about each school. The 15th annual list is also published in the May issue of PC Gamer magazine.

Learn more about RIT’s offerings in Game Design, Development, and Arts.