Arkansas punches above its size. Both of its ranked game design schools in Arkansas are public, and Arkansas Tech University, in Russellville, ranks 17 of 89 nationally at an $11,443 net price, among the lowest anywhere. Southern Arkansas University Main Campus, in Magnolia, ranks 24 of 89. With prices about 13.1% below the national average, this is one of the cheapest places to study game design.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
Arkansas Tech University leads at 75.4.2 ranked programs in Arkansas, scored on completion, net price and size. It finishes 52% of its students and has a $11,443 net price. Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is next at 69.6.The Ranking ›
Software developers earn $104,490 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 6,050 people work as software developers in Arkansas. Living costs work in your favor in Arkansas: BEA puts prices 13.1% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further.Pay ›
Living costs run below the U.S. average.Living costs work in your favor in Arkansas: BEA puts prices 13.1% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further.Prices ›
Public in-state tuition averages $6,494.The Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship is Arkansas's main state grant. Aided in-state students pay $13,218 on average across 14 public four-year colleges, about what the median state charges. Out of state, tuition averages $13,730.Costs ›
Arkansas in brief
Key Facts About Studying Game Design in Arkansas
Arkansas has two ranked game design bachelor's programs, both at public schools and both game design programs. Arkansas Tech University scores 75.4 with 17 graduates a year and a 52% completion rate. Southern Arkansas University Main Campus scores 69.6, graduates 11 a year, and has a 43% completion rate, so it pays to ask each school how it supports students through the degree.
There's no ranked programming or simulation track, and the state's two game-related programs are those two public bachelor's degrees, with no associate or graduate programs.
Every score on this page is the same score the national rankings use, built on completion, net price and program size, from federal data. The methodology has the details.
Ranked in Arkansas
The 2 Best Game Design Schools in Arkansas for 2027
Arkansas Tech University leads, ranked 17 of 89 in the national game design ranking, with a completion rate of 52% and an average net price of $11,443. Every school on this list is public. The best game design schools ranking shows how these compare with every school in the country.
Each ranked program in Arkansas, in rank order: what stands out, the trade-off to weigh, and the figures behind the score. Completion, net price and earnings are school-wide; graduates a year is the program's own; the score is out of 100.
Arkansas Tech University's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game & Interactive Media Design sits in the art department in the town of Russellville. In-state tuition is $5,995 a year, against $11,989 for nonresidents, and aided first-years pay a net price of $11,443 across the university, which is why the program earns full cost points.
The plan of study starts with drawing, two-dimensional design, intro to game development and programming foundations, then moves into 3D modeling and 3D animation. School-wide, the admit rate is 96%, and 52% of entering students finish within eight years. About 17 students graduate from the program each year, and the SAT midpoint of 990 is the lowest in the top 25. Students also take art history, composition and a sophomore review along the way.
Southern Arkansas University's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game, Animation, and Simulation Design is a 121-credit on-campus degree in the art and design department in Magnolia, a town setting. In-state tuition is published at $7,380 a year, and the per-hour rate is $260 for residents against $461 for nonresidents.
Students learn 3D animation along with the production and management of game environments. The major requires 87 hours in game and animation design, with courses such as concept art, introduction to game development, playgramming and 3D modeling tools. Aided first-years pay a net price of $14,164 school-wide, and 43% of entering students finish within eight years. About 11 students graduate from the program each year. Learning goals include communicating design decisions orally, visually and in writing, and understanding art's civic and ethical impact.
Pay in Arkansas leans toward programming. Computer programmers earn a median of $111,840, ahead of the U.S. by $11,450, one of the few places in this group where a state beats the nation. Software developers earn $104,490, trailing the U.S. median by $31,490, and 6,050 people hold those jobs.
$45,860–$134,730$46k–$135k$45,860 to $134,730, May 2024May 2024
470May 2024
$104,000
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$46,220
$37,530–$58,230$38k–$58k$37,530 to $58,230
1,390
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$111,840
$80,050–$136,880$80k–$137k$80,050 to $136,880
1,050
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$71,930
$62,060–$82,070$62k–$82k$62,060 to $82,070
240
$114,850
BLS doesn't publish special effects artists and animators pay for Arkansas. Nationally, the median is $102,030. See animator salary › Annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025. The middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile. Figures tagged May 2024 are from that earlier BLS release, because BLS didn't publish one for Arkansas in the current release.
Pay in Arkansas's Largest Metro Areas
Metro area
Software developers
Web and digital interface designers
Price level
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
$104,070
$54,990
89.4
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR
$105,130
$57,640
91.4
Fort Smith, AR-OK
$114,140
$32,250May 2023
85.9
Median annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025, for the state's largest metropolitan areas by total employment. Price level is BEA's Regional Price Parity for 2024, where the U.S. average is 100. Figures tagged May 2023 are from that earlier BLS release, because BLS didn't publish one for that metro area in the current release. A cell marked with a dash means BLS (or BEA, for price level) didn't publish a figure for that metro area, usually because too few employers reported.
Design and art pay far less. Graphic designers earn $46,220 ($16,740 behind the U.S.), and art directors earn $71,930. BLS publishes no Arkansas figure for web and digital interface designers or for special effects artists and animators, so game designer and animator pay can't be read from the state data.
The best programmer pay is in the northwest. Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers shows computer programmers at $136,880 and art directors at $76,570, while Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway shows software developers at $104,070. Fort Smith pays software developers $114,140 but graphic designers only $39,590.
Low prices stretch whatever you earn. Arkansas sits at a price level of 86.9, so costs run about 13.1% under the national average, and Fort Smith is lower still at 85.9. New graduates often begin by testing builds, supporting a lead designer, or coding at a junior level, and in Arkansas the programming route clearly pays best. If you want to work in design or art, plan on remote work for a studio elsewhere, or on a first job in a nearby metro, since the state publishes no designer figure and graphic design pays little.
About 6,050 people work as software developers in Arkansas. Living costs work in your favor in Arkansas: BEA puts prices 13.1% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further.
The game design salary pages explain what each occupation covers and how game studios fit inside it.
Cost in Arkansas
Paying for School in Arkansas
Arkansas has 14 public four-year colleges. Residents pay about $6,494 in tuition and residents on aid are billed about $13,218 net. Out-of-state tuition averages $13,730, a $7,236 premium.
Public colleges in AR
Figure
Public four-year colleges
14
Average in-state tuition
$6,494
Average out-of-state tuition
$13,730
Average net price, aided in-state students
$13,218
Means across Arkansas's public four-year degree-granting colleges that offer undergraduate study: tuition from IPEDS for 2023-24 (12 colleges reporting), net price for 2022-23 (11 reporting). Net price is what first-year students with grant aid paid after grants.
Aided in-state students pay $13,218 on average across 14 public four-year colleges, about what the median state charges.
At the two public schools with game programs, residents see $6,688 in tuition, nonresidents see $12,550, and the difference is $5,862. That gap is small next to most states, so even a student from outside Arkansas can come in at a modest price.
The Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, from the Arkansas Division of Higher Education, is merit-based, and it's the state award to ask about first. The state also belongs to the Academic Common Market, which can give in-state tuition elsewhere when your major isn't offered at home, though our data lists no nearby public game program through it.
State Aid in Arkansas
Arkansas's main merit program for undergraduates is the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, run by the Arkansas Division of Higher Education. In its own words: "The Arkansas Academic Challenge Program provides scholarships to Arkansas residents pursuing higher education." Fill out the FAFSA early, since many state programs award money until it runs out.
Tuition Exchanges
Arkansas belongs to the Academic Common Market (ACM). In the program's own words, "Many students qualify for in-state tuition to study at out-of-state institutions.." It also says: "Not all colleges participate, not all programs are offered, and not every offered program is available to students in all states."
The honest comparison here is two public schools that cost about the same. Arkansas Tech University has the higher score and the lower net price, $11,443 against $14,164, and a better completion rate. Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is smaller in graduate output, so check how large its classes and studio time are.
Both ranked programs are design degrees, so if you lean toward code, pair the major with computer science coursework or choose a programming-focused school elsewhere. Texas has four game design bachelor's programs, Missouri has three, and Oklahoma has two, which makes any of them a practical move.
Both options are public, so in-state tuition applies at either. Visit both public campuses if you can, because Russellville and Magnolia are small towns and the fit matters as much as the ranking. Ask about internships, studio hours and where recent graduates landed jobs.
Neighboring States
Neighboring stateTexas4 ranked game bachelor's · 15 programs in allView the Texas guide ›
Neighboring stateMissouri3 ranked game bachelor's · 8 programs in allView the Missouri guide ›
Neighboring stateOklahoma2 ranked game bachelor's · 2 programs in allView the Oklahoma guide ›
Neighboring stateLouisiana1 ranked game bachelor's · 3 programs in allView the Louisiana guide ›
Neighboring stateTennessee1 ranked game bachelor's · 3 programs in allView the Tennessee guide ›
Neighboring stateMississippi2 related programs, no game bachelor'sView the Mississippi guide ›
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Arkansas Schools Have a Ranked Game Design Bachelor's?
Arkansas Tech University is the top-ranked game design school in Arkansas, 17 of 89 in our national ranking, followed by Southern Arkansas University Main Campus at 24. It finishes 52% of its students and has an average net price of $11,443 for aided first-year students, both school-wide IPEDS figures, and the program graduates about 17 students a year. It is also the lowest-priced of the 2 ranked here. Out-of-state students pay $5,994 more a year in published tuition there. See all 2 ranked Arkansas programs in the state ranking.
Does Arkansas Pay Programmers Well?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $104,490 in Arkansas, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). Living costs work in your favor in Arkansas: BEA puts prices 13.1% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further. About 6,050 people work as software developers in Arkansas. See what game jobs pay in Arkansas.
Where Is Game Design Cheapest in Arkansas?
The lowest-priced ranked option in Arkansas is Arkansas Tech University, at an average net price of $11,443 a year for aided first-year students. The catch is completion: 52% of its students finish, under the 59% median, and a program you don't finish costs more than its sticker. Public in-state tuition in Arkansas averages $6,494, if a related program at home fits. See paying for school in Arkansas.
Is Arkansas Cheap to Live In?
Arkansas is cheaper than average to live in: overall prices run at 86.9 on BEA's Regional Price Parities, where the U.S. average is 100, and housing at 58.2. Housing pulls the cost down most, at 58.2 on BEA's housing index against 100 nationally. Aided in-state students pay $13,218 on average across 14 public four-year colleges, about what the median state charges. See what game jobs pay in Arkansas.
How Much More Do Out-of-State Students Pay?
Out-of-state students pay about $7,236 more a year in tuition at Arkansas's public four-year colleges, where in-state tuition averages $6,494 against $13,730 for nonresidents (IPEDS 2023-24). After grants, aided in-state students pay an average net price of $13,218. Arkansas belongs to the Academic Common Market (ACM), which can cut nonresident tuition at public colleges in member states, though each college picks which programs take part. See paying for school in Arkansas.
2NCES, IPEDS Outcome Measures 2023 The completion factor: the share of all entering students, full-time, part-time and transfer, who earned an award within eight years. School-wide.
