If you're looking at game design schools in Baltimore, the first thing to know is that the city itself has no ranked game degree in programming. What it has is art-side depth: Morgan State University, the University of Baltimore and Maryland Institute College of Art all sit within three miles of the city center and are ranked for animation. Maryland Institute College of Art also has a ranked game and interactive media design program. The strongest game-ranked option, the University of Maryland-College Park, is 28 miles out.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
4Game Programs Within 25 Milesgame design, programming, simulation and animation, all levelsIPEDS locations
9Game Programs Within 50 Milesat 8 collegesIPEDS locations
2Ranked Game Design Bachelor's Programs Nearbyranked, within 50 miles; plus 4 animationOur ranking
University of Baltimore leads the metro at 76.5.4 ranked programs sit inside the Baltimore, Columbia and Towson metro. Price is its strength: aided first-year students pay $17,253, $8,897 under the ranking's median, though 55% completion trails the 59% median.The Ranking ›
Software developers earn $138,900 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 16,850 people work as software developers in the metro, close to the national share. In Baltimore, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $96,760, which is 7% under the national median of $104,000.Pay ›
120 software and game publishers in the metro.Concentration 0.73, where 1.00 matches the U.S. Those publishers employ 6,444 people. The metro also has 1,086 custom programming studios and 88 film, video and animation production companies.Employers ›
In-state tuition starts at $5,698.6 public colleges nearby offer a game-related program. The highest in-state tuition nearby is $10,392, so where you enroll changes the bill a lot.Costs ›
A one-bedroom rents for $1,326 a month.The U.S. median one-bedroom is $1,301. Median rent in the Baltimore, Columbia and Towson metro is $1,633 a month, close to the U.S. median of $1,487. The lowest on-campus room and board nearby is $12,755 a year at Morgan State University.Living Costs ›
Ranked in Baltimore
The Best Game Design Schools in Baltimore, MD for 2027
Four ranked entries sit inside the Baltimore metro, and three of them are animation programs. The University of Baltimore leads at 17 of 82 (score 76.5), followed by Morgan State University at 20 of 82 and Maryland Institute College of Art at 63 of 82. Morgan State graduates 18 a year in this program and the University of Baltimore graduates 37.
The fourth entry is the one for game design proper. The game and interactive media design program at Maryland Institute College of Art sits at 78 of 89, scoring 42.1, and graduates seven a year. It's the lowest-scoring of the four ranked entries in the metro, and it's the only private school among them. Its sticker tuition is $54,750 while the school-wide net price comes to $43,066. Its completion rate is 77%, which is the highest among the in-city schools.
Game design, game programming, simulation and animation programs are all scored the same way, on completion, net price and program size. On each card, completion is the school's 8-year award rate and net price its average for aided first-year students, both from IPEDS; grads a year is the program's own average, 2022 to 2024. Miles are straight-line from central Baltimore.
Baltimore, MD · Public · Animation program · 1 miles
76.5
#17 of 82 in animation
1 miles from Baltimore
Animation
Public
This public B.S. in simulation and game design is taught on a midtown Baltimore campus, about a mile from the city center, a city-based program that students can reach without leaving town. The B.S. is a STEM-designated, 120-credit program with an accelerated bachelor's to master's option.
Students choose a content area, such as technical art or coding and development, and finish with two capstone seminars in which they design and build games and simulations. The same program is offered at the Universities at Shady Grove, near Rockville. Aided first-years across the university pay a net price of $17,253, and Maryland residents pay published tuition of $7,590 a year. About 37 students graduate from the program in an average year. Earnings ten years out average $61,335 across all majors school-wide.
Baltimore, MD · Public · Animation program · 3 miles
74.3
#20 of 82 in animation
3 miles from Baltimore
Lowest net price in Baltimore
Animation
Public
Morgan State's Screenwriting and Animation major is set in the former home of Flite Three Studios, a production studio that made Baltimore films for over 40 years, and its Soundstage A is the largest in Maryland. Three concentrations are offered: computer animation, film and television writing, and integrated media writing.
The program calls itself the most technology-immersive in the College of Liberal Arts, and majors take two computer science courses. The campus is 3 miles from Baltimore. Aided first-years across the university pay the lowest net price in the city, $15,350, against a $27,114 cost of attendance. About 18 students graduate from the program each year, and 52% of the university's entering students complete within eight years. Published in-state tuition is $5,698 a year.
Completion
52%school-wide
Net price
$15,350aided first-years
Grads a year
18this program
Earnings
$50,69810 yrs, all majors
SAT midpoint
955lowest SAT midpoint of the 82 ranked in animation
Baltimore, MD · Private nonprofit · Animation program · 1 miles
50.3
#63 of 82 in animation
1 miles from Baltimore
Highest completion in Baltimore
Largest program in Baltimore
Animation
Private
Maryland Institute College of Art is one mile from Baltimore's center, and its BFA in Animation is the largest program in the city, with about 40 graduates a year. It is a stand-alone art college, so animation students work next to illustrators, designers and fine artists on a campus of 1,687 students.
MICA reports a 77% completion rate within eight years and a 77% admit rate. Published tuition is $54,750, and the cost of attendance before aid is $80,500, though aided first-years pay a net price of $43,066 school-wide. Earnings for graduates of all majors were $45,212 ten years out. The program graduates the most students of any in Baltimore among those we cover, and the college enrolls 1,687 students in total, so animation is a visible major on campus.
Baltimore, MD · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 1 miles
42.1
#78 of 89 nationally
1 miles from Baltimore
Private
MICA's campus is about a mile from Baltimore's center, which makes the Game Design BFA a city-living degree for anyone in the metro. Game design majors are based in the Film Centre, with a large sound stage, a green screen, a professional sound studio for Foley and mixing, and a 49-seat screening room.
Students work alongside filmmakers, animators and sound artists, and they use narrative, design, art, sound and code to build original worlds, systems and characters. Tuition is $54,750 and the cost of attendance is $80,500 before aid, though aided first-years pay a net price of $43,066 school-wide. About seven students graduate from the program each year, and 77% of entering students finish within eight years. The program also examines how games entertain, educate and create meaning.
The rest of the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro and the nearby areas are covered on the Maryland page.
StateMaryland2 ranked game bachelor's · 7 programs in allView the Maryland guide ›
Pay in Baltimore
What Game Jobs Pay in Baltimore
Game-adjacent pay in Baltimore is strongest on the programming side. Software developers, the category that holds game programmers and engine developers, sit at $138,900 in the metro, ahead of the national median by $2,920 and the state median by just $220. The metro employs 16,850 of them, and half of them land between $105,670 and $200,910.
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$75,790
$58,050–$89,390$58k–$89k$58,050 to $89,390
1,350
$75,120
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$106,420
$83,010–$134,960$83k–$135k$83,010 to $134,960
780
$125,570
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$97,460
$74,790–$124,120$75k–$124k$74,790 to $124,120
230
$98,400
$114,850
Annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025, for the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metropolitan area. The middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
The art side pays less. Special effects artists and animators earn a median of $90,050, falling $11,980 short of the national median while beating the state median by $4,220, though BLS counts only 90 of them in the metro. Game and UI designers are counted as web and digital interface designers, whose $96,760 median trails the national one by $7,240.
Graphic designers are the surprise: $75,790, or $12,830 above the national median, with 1,350 employed. Computer programmers earn $106,420, $6,030 above the national median but $19,150 below the state median. Prices run above average too, with a metro price level of 104.5 and a housing price level of 118.2, so part of that pay goes to rent.
About 16,850 people work as software developers in the Baltimore, Columbia and Towson metro, close to the national share. In Baltimore, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $96,760, which is 7% under the national median of $104,000. Prices in the Baltimore, Columbia and Towson metro run 4.5% above the U.S. average on BEA's index, which takes a bite out of both pay and a student budget.
Baltimore's strongest local industry for game work is not publishers. Census doesn't count game studios separately, and most are counted under software publishers, which sit at 73% of the national concentration here with 120 businesses. The standout is contract and co-development work, counted as custom programming: 1,086 businesses and 16,581 employees, or 1.9 times the national concentration.
Industry
What it covers
Businesses
Employees
Concentration
Software and game publishers
Software publishers (game publishers and studios are filed here)
120
6,444
0.73
Custom programming studios
Custom computer programming services (contract and co-development studios)
1,086
16,581
1.88
Film, video and animation production
Motion picture and video production (animation and VFX studios)
88
304
0.22
Graphic design firms
Graphic design services
156
537
1.25
Establishments and March payroll employees in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro, County Business Patterns 2023. Concentration is the industry's share of metro employees divided by its share nationally: 1.00 matches the U.S., 2.00 is twice as concentrated.
The art industries are thinner. Motion picture and video production, where animation studios are counted, has 88 businesses and 304 employees, only 22% of the national concentration. Graphic design firms are at 1.2 times, but that's a small field of 537 employees. By occupation, software developers are more common in the metro than nationally, with a location quotient of 1.14.
Everything else on the list, including special effects artists and animators, web and digital interface designers and art directors, is less common in the metro than nationally. Be honest with yourself about that: an animation degree here probably means competing for a small number of local roles, remote work, or a move.
How Common Game-Adjacent Jobs Are in Baltimore
Occupation
Jobs per 1,000
Location quotient
Software developers
12.42
1.14
Web and digital interface designers
0.37
0.50
Special effects artists and animators
0.07
0.54
Graphic designers
0.99
0.78
Computer programmers
0.58
0.97
Art directors
0.17
0.50
BLS OEWS May 2025. Jobs per 1,000 of all metro jobs; a location quotient above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in the metro than nationally.
Talent pipeline
How Many Game Graduates Baltimore Produces
Colleges within 50 miles graduate 226 people a year from game-related programs, and 193 of those are bachelor's graduates. The largest single program is George Mason University's animation bachelor's at 79 graduates a year, 49 miles out. Maryland Institute College of Art follows with 40, then the University of Baltimore with 37 and Montgomery College's associate game program with 21.
The 9 largest game-related programs within 50 miles of central Baltimore by graduates a year, IPEDS completions averaged 2022 to 2024:
Inside the metro, colleges graduate 101 a year against 17,440 core jobs, a ratio of 0.6%. Read that carefully. Core jobs here means software developers, interface designers and animators, and most of that work has nothing to do with games. Graduates also move, in and out, so the figure shows how much local competition exists for the jobs, not how many game jobs there are.
Cost near Baltimore
Paying for School in Baltimore
Maryland residents have a lot of public choice. Resident tuition is $7,590 at the University of Baltimore and $5,698 at Morgan State University, where school-wide net prices land at $17,253 and $15,350. The University of Maryland-College Park costs Marylanders $10,087 and outsiders $39,464, a premium of $29,377, though its net price is $15,833. Two Maryland community colleges sit in the same price range, with Montgomery College at $8,190 for residents and Cecil College at $7,500.
The public colleges within 50 miles that offer a game-related program. Tuition is the published undergraduate rate for 2023-24 (IPEDS IC), before aid; net price is the school-wide average for aided first-year students, 2022-23 (IPEDS SFA).
Maryland's Educational Assistance Grant, run by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, is the state aid to check. Out-of-state students face the steep premiums above, and George Mason University is in Virginia, so Maryland residents shouldn't expect in-state rates there. The Academic Common Market (ACM) is the tuition exchange to ask about if you're weighing a school across a state line.
State Aid in Maryland
Maryland's main need program for undergraduates is the Educational Assistance Grant, run by the Maryland Higher Education Commission. In its own words: "Rawlings Educational Excellence Awards and is a need-based grant that provides financial assistance to eligible applicants enrolled at postsecondary institutions for educational expenses." The Maryland page covers state aid and public college costs in more detail.
Tuition Exchanges
Maryland 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."
Living costs
Living in Baltimore as a Student
Baltimore renters pay a bit more than the typical American. Baltimore's metro median rent of $1,633 runs $146 over the U.S. median. Budget $1,326 a month for a one-bedroom, which totals $15,912 across twelve months, or split a two-bedroom for $841 each. The housing price level is 118.2, where 100 is the national average.
Monthly rent
Baltimore, Columbia and Towson metro
U.S.
All rentals, median
$1,633
$1,487
One bedroom, median
$1,326
$1,301
Two bedrooms, median
$1,682
$1,490
Median gross rent (rent plus utilities the tenant pays), American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, tables B25064 and B25031.
On campus, room and board runs from $12,755 at Morgan State University to $19,924 at the art college. College Park is $15,416 and George Mason University is $15,151. The University of Baltimore and Montgomery College have no campus housing at all, and Cecil College doesn't either, so those three mean renting on the open market.
Median rent in the Baltimore, Columbia and Towson metro is $1,633 a month, close to the U.S. median of $1,487.
Each college's own yearly estimates for a full-time undergraduate, 2023-24 (IPEDS IC). Off-campus is for a student not living with family.
Decide first whether you want art or code. Within 50 miles there are four ranked animation programs and two ranked game programs, one a game design program and one as simulation. If you want to build characters and worlds, the Baltimore schools fit. If you want systems and programming, the University of Maryland-College Park is the stronger match.
Public versus private is the big cost question here. Morgan State and the University of Baltimore cost far less than Maryland Institute College of Art, and their net prices of $15,350 and $17,253 sit close to the $15,833 at the University of Maryland-College Park. A net price of $43,066 at the art school is well above both public options, so it makes sense mainly if the program is the reason you'd pick it.
Commuting works for the in-city schools, all within three miles of the center, but the University of Baltimore has no campus housing, so you'd rent. Morgan State's on-campus room and board is $12,755. College Park at 28 miles is a move or a hard daily trip, and George Mason at 49 miles is realistic only as a move. Remember all miles here are straight-line.
None of the 3 colleges on this page is open admission, and fall 2024 admission ran from 77% at Maryland Institute College of Art to 82% at Morgan State University. None requires SAT or ACT scores.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Best Game Design Schools in Baltimore?
University of Baltimore has the top-ranked program in Baltimore, an animation bachelor's scoring 76.5. Price is its strength: aided first-year students pay $17,253, $8,897 under the ranking's median, though 55% completion trails the 59% median. With about 37 graduates a year, it is one of the larger programs in the ranking, so expect big cohorts and several sections of core courses. Morgan State University is next at 74.3, one of 4 ranked programs in the metro. The cheapest ranked option in the metro is Morgan State University at $15,350, with 52% completion. See the ranked programs.
What Does a Game Programmer Earn Around Baltimore?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $138,900 in the Baltimore, Columbia and Towson metro, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). In the Baltimore, Columbia and Towson metro, web and digital interface designers, where game designers are counted, earn $96,760, which is 7% under the national median of $104,000. Prices in the Baltimore, Columbia and Towson metro run 4.5% above the U.S. average on BEA's index, which takes a bite out of both pay and a student budget. See what game jobs pay in Baltimore.
What Is In-State Tuition for Game Design Near Baltimore?
In-state tuition at public colleges near Baltimore starts at $5,698 a year, at Morgan State University, and runs up to $10,087 at University of Maryland-College Park. Nonresidents pay $16,593 at Morgan State University. 6 public colleges within 50 miles offer a game-related program, and private colleges charge every student the same tuition. After grants, Montgomery College has the lowest average net price nearby, $8,668, under the $13,240 public average in the median state. See paying for school in Baltimore.
How Far Are the Nearest Game Design Programs From Baltimore?
4 ranked programs sit inside the Baltimore, Columbia and Towson metro. University of Baltimore scores highest, at 76.5. The top program is 1 miles from central Baltimore, close enough to commute if housing nearby is out of reach. 4 game-related programs sit within 25 miles of central Baltimore and 9 within 50, counting every level. The rest of the metro and the nearby areas are on the Maryland page. See the ranked programs.
What Should a Game Design Student Budget for Living in Baltimore?
Median rent in the Baltimore, Columbia and Towson metro was $1,633 a month in 2024, $146 above the U.S. median of $1,487 (Census ACS). A one-bedroom runs $1,326. On-campus room and board at nearby colleges starts at $12,755 a year at Morgan State University, which bundles meals and avoids a lease. Housing is the expensive part: BEA puts it at 118.2 against a U.S. average of 100. See living in Baltimore as a student.
How Competitive Are the Baltimore-Area Colleges for Admission?
None of the 3 colleges on this page is open admission, and fall 2024 admission ran from 77% at Maryland Institute College of Art to 82% at Morgan State University. None requires SAT or ACT scores. With no open-admission college nearby, apply to more than one program. The median published rate among them is 79%. Each program card shows its college's admission rate where one is reported. See how to choose a program.
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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.
