Best Online Game Design Degrees for 2027

Delivery is flexible here: the same game design degree is offered in a traditional classroom or fully online, at the New Castle and Brandywine locations or from home. Terms come as 15-week semesters or 7-week blocks, and new classes start every 8 weeks, so a student can join without waiting for a single fall intake. Day, evening and weekend sections exist for those fitting study around work.

Tuition is charged per credit, so a student pays only for the courses the degree needs. A typical three-credit course costs $1,317, and published tuition is $12,570. Transferring credits shortens the road to the 120 total credits. Electives can also count toward a Dual-Credit Certificate or toward master's-level coursework. School-wide, net price is $14,267 for aided first-years.

The online route here is a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, 120 credits, with a Game Development and Simulation concentration among four. It is an information technology degree rather than an art degree, and the university notes that IT is a discipline distinct from computer science and computer engineering.

Students finish with a senior project presented at the annual IT Expo before faculty, staff, employers and peers. Co-op and entry-level placements have included Worldpay from FIS, General Electric and Kroger. This is a very large school, with 45,026 students, and online learners should note that published tuition is $11,685 in state and $27,019 out of state, a premium of $15,334. Aided first-years pay $21,511 net school-wide, and 72% of entering students complete in eight years.

This version of the degree is 100% online, runs four years and takes 120 credit hours at $525 per credit. Coursework starts with Introduction to Game Design and Adobe Photoshop, then moves to History of Games and Critical Theory and Level Design. Students practice working on a game project team, so collaboration happens at a distance instead of in a studio.

Lindenwood also offers the same degree in a blended on-campus format for students who would rather attend in person. School-wide, the net price for aided first-years is $18,698, 58% of students finish within eight years, and total enrollment across the university is 6,826.

The learning goals named for the online degree include analytical thinking, a collaborative approach and project management across the development life cycle. Students who finish the four years should have worked on usability, production, game art, programming, scripting and game economics.

Online students at University of Advancing Technology take asynchronous classes in 7.5-week modules, two at a time, which adds up to four classes in each 15-week semester. Undergraduates take at least two classes per module and can add more with an advisor's approval. Courses can also be taken live virtually or in person on the Tempe campus.

Students need a full computer rather than a tablet, plus a webcam and microphone for live lessons, and access to office software. Project-based assignments and industry-standard tools keep the work collaborative at a distance, and a dedicated online team supports students. Published tuition is $17,900 a year, and the school-wide cost of attendance is $35,373 before aid. Across the university, aided first-years pay a net price of $21,148 and 48% of entering students complete a degree within eight years.

Baker College delivers its Game Software Development degree fully online, and the college says it has been an online pioneer since 1994. Before graduating, students work through a complete video game development process, so they see a game through from concept to design to testing and publication, on computers and major consoles.

The program was designed with gaming industry experts and updated regularly. Tuition is the same $12,600 for every student, and aided first-years across the college pay a net price of $14,743. The cost of attendance is $26,900, the lowest among the top 13 online programs. About 11 students graduate from the program in an average year. School-wide, 26% of entering students complete within eight years, a figure online applicants should weigh.

UAT Online delivers its Game Design degree asynchronously, so students log in on their own schedule. Classes run in 7.5-week modules taken two at a time, which makes four classes in a 15-week semester, and a dedicated online team supports students throughout. Faculty who teach on the Tempe campus also teach online, and the curriculum is organized around the university's Synchronic Learning approach.

Pacing and price are the questions for an online student. UAT is a private for-profit university with 933 students, and published tuition is $17,900 for every student. School-wide net price for aided first-years is $21,148, against a $35,373 cost of attendance before aid. About 10 students a year graduate from the game design degree. Across the university, 48% complete within eight years, 98% of applicants are admitted, and earnings ten years after enrollment average $50,719 across all majors.

At the University of Advancing Technology, the online Virtual Reality B.S. runs asynchronously in 7.5-week modules, with students taking two at a time, four classes per semester over 15-week semesters. It is a flexible way to study immersive design for working adults, and faculty teach both online and on the Tempe campus.

The degree teaches development tools for virtual and augmented reality, gamification and the use of head-mounted displays and tracking systems. Published tuition is $17,900, and the cost of attendance before aid is $35,373. About 3 students graduate each year, and aided first-years pay a net price of $21,148 school-wide. The university admits 98% of applicants. A dedicated online team supports students throughout. Admission is open to nearly every applicant, at 98%.

Anyone who wants to study game design from home can earn this Bachelor of Arts completely online or on campus in Silicon Valley. The delivery is the same degree either way, and students work in interdisciplinary teams on projects from concept to launch.

Pacing is the unusual part. Students take 3 courses per term instead of the traditional 4, which the school says allows deeper learning and a better balance with work and life. Course highlights include Game Prototyping, Narrative Design and Level Design, and a dedicated Game Writing track. Tuition is $21,480 a year for all students, wherever they live, and about 22 graduates complete the program annually. The school admits 51% of applicants, and graduates of any major earn a median of $51,017 ten years after enrolling.

The BS in Game Engineering at the University of Silicon Valley can be taken on campus in San Jose or 100% online. Students take three courses per term instead of the usual four, which the school says allows deeper learning and a more manageable load for people balancing work and life.

Coursework covers programming, algorithms, applied math, game engines, graphics and systems optimization, with a capstone that ships a playable project. Electives in art, audio or business customize the degree. Published tuition is $21,480, and aided first-year students pay a net price of $30,602 school-wide. About 13 students graduate yearly from a school of 477 students. Of those entering the university, 52% finish within eight years, and 51% of applicants are admitted.

RMCAD delivers its Game Art BFA online, taught by practicing industry professionals. The curriculum has 48 credits of game art courses, among them digital painting, 3D fundamentals, environment creation, character creation and fundamentals of animation, plus 45 credits of liberal arts. Admission starts with a meeting with an admissions representative and a portfolio, which is submitted to be considered for a scholarship.

Tuition is $17,760 and locked in when a student starts, so it does not rise while the student stays enrolled. Classes are offered year-round, which gives online students several scheduling options. School-wide, 31% of entering students finish within eight years and aided first-years pay a net price of $27,459. About 23 students graduate from the program each year.

Champlain College's online B.S. in Interactive Game Design takes 120 credits at $342 a credit, and with two courses per term it is estimated to take three years and four months, at 15 to 18 hours a week per course. Credit for prior learning can shorten it, and a certificate can be added.

Courses cover rapid prototyping, systems design, character development and how narrative arcs drive gameplay, with portfolio production at the end. The published tuition for the on-campus program is $47,400 and the cost of attendance before aid is $69,122. School-wide net price is $36,846 for aided first-years. About 28 students graduate each year from this degree. Start dates come three times a year across spring and summer terms.

Palm Beach Atlantic offers its Gaming and Interactive Media Design B.A. on campus in West Palm Beach or fully online, with Fall and Spring entry. The degree is 120 credit hours and takes four years full-time. Online students build the same professional portfolio as those on campus.

The curriculum has students design game prototypes in industry-standard software, apply storytelling, level design and user experience principles, and work in multidisciplinary teams to publish an original game from start to finish. A Christ-centered perspective runs through the creative decisions. Published tuition is $39,400 for everyone, and aided first-years pay a net price of $31,103 across the university against a $62,342 cost of attendance. About 1 student graduates from the program in an average year.

The Game Design BFA at Academy of Art University is available online and on campus, with the same core either way. It opens with Digital Drawing for Entertainment, Playing Games in Game Development (a survey of tabletop and electronic genres in which students record and reflect on their play), Introduction to Maya and 2D Tools for Game Development, then moves to 3D modeling, animation and lighting in production environments.

Online study at this private for-profit school costs the same published tuition of $29,736 as the campus version. School-wide net price for aided first-years is $36,591 and the cost of attendance before aid is $67,777. Only about 1 student a year graduates from this program, so the online cohort is small. Across the academy, 5,498 students are enrolled and 26% complete a degree within eight years, with earnings ten years after enrollment averaging $39,008 across all majors.