RIT’s game design programs ranked No. 5 nationally

Animation Career Review has again named Rochester Institute of Technology one of the top game design universities in the country. RIT ranked No. 5 on the list of Top 50 Game Design Schools and Colleges in the U.S. and No. 2 in New York state.

The 2022 rankings considered more than 150 colleges with game design programs. The annual rankings were created by Animation Career Review, an online resource for aspiring animation, game design and development, graphic design, and digital art professionals. The list also named RIT the No. 3 game design master’s degree program, No. 4 bachelor’s degree program, No. 4 private school in the nation, and No. 3 game design school on the East Coast.

“I’m impressed with the intense effort from our entire IGM community in achieving this ranking,” said David Schwartz, director of RIT’s School of Interactive Games and Media (IGM). “With the growth of RIT Game Arts and other academic partners, we continue to enhance RIT’s portfolio of game offerings.”

Animation Career Review noted that RIT offers several programs for aspiring game designers, including different bachelor’s degrees, one master’s, and an accelerated BS/MS option.

RIT’s Bachelor of Science in game design and development provides a broad-based undergraduate education in computing while exposing students to the breadth of game design and development processes. The bachelor’s program in new media interactive development also explores casual games, in addition to new technologies and experiences with web, wearable, and mobile computing. The BFA program in 3D digital design teaches students how to create visual elements for a range of applications, varying from games to medical simulations to motion graphics. Students can also explore elements of game design through RIT’s bachelor’s degrees in animation, illustration, and digital humanities and social sciences. 

Students who pursue a master’s degree in game design and development at RIT focus on the technical roots in the computing and information sciences disciplines, while simultaneously covering the breadth of the development landscape through involvement in topics, including computer graphics, game engines, interactive narrative, and game world design. The degree culminates with a capstone project in which students create their own games.

“With the incredible support of our staff and faculty, our students have won multiple awards this past year,” said Schwartz. “We have also seen amazing achievement in faculty-sponsored research and development involving our students.”

RIT game design students can also work with RIT’s MAGIC Center, a nonprofit university-wide research and development laboratory and a for-profit production studio that assists in efforts to bring digital media creations up to marketplace standards and commercialization. RIT’s MAGIC Spell Studios focuses on nurturing and growing new companies and publishing and distributing their projects.

The ranking also highlights RIT’s emphasis on cooperative education—full-time paid work experiences that provide students with 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 go on to work at companies including Google, Cartoon Network, Electronic Arts (EA), Sony Interactive Entertainment, Epic Games, and Microsoft.

The full game design school rankings can be found on the Animation Career Review 2022 Game Design Rankings website.