If you're searching for game design schools near Colorado Springs, start with the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, three miles from the city center. It's the only ranked program inside the metro, it sits at 28 of 89 in our game design ranking, and it's public. Every other ranked school is 57 miles or more away along the Front Range, so beyond that one campus you're looking at a move or a long commute.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
2Game Programs Within 25 Milesgame design, programming, simulation and animation, all levelsIPEDS locations
2Game Programs Within 50 Milesabout an hour outIPEDS locations
9Game Programs Within 100 Milesat 7 colleges; 3 ranked game bachelor'sIPEDS locations
Game Design Schools Near Colorado Springs in 60 Seconds
University of Colorado Colorado Springs leads the metro at 67.6.One ranked program sits inside the Colorado Springs metro. Price is its strength: aided first-year students pay $16,816, $9,334 under the ranking's median, though 48% completion trails the 59% median.The Ranking ›
Software developers earn $134,280 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 4,850 people work as software developers in the metro, a heavier concentration than the country as a whole (location quotient 1.41).Pay ›
42 software and game publishers in the metro.Concentration 0.70, where 1.00 matches the U.S. Those publishers employ 1,380 people. The metro also has 229 custom programming studios and 27 film, video and animation production companies.Employers ›
In-state tuition starts at $4,058.5 public colleges nearby offer a game-related program. The highest in-state tuition nearby is $9,022, so where you enroll changes the bill a lot.Costs ›
A one-bedroom rents for $1,496 a month.The U.S. median one-bedroom is $1,301. Rent is the big cost in the Colorado Springs metro: the median is $1,761 a month, $274 over the U.S. median. The lowest on-campus room and board nearby is $12,278 a year at University of Colorado Colorado Springs.Living Costs ›
Ranked in Colorado Springs
The Best Game Design Schools in Colorado Springs, CO for 2027
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs scores 67.6 and graduates nine students a year from its program, which is a simulation program. That filing tells you the flavor: it leans toward simulation and technical work more than character art. In-state tuition is $9,022, against $23,155 for students from outside Colorado.
The 48% completion rate and the $16,816 net price describe the whole university, not the game program. Treat them as a read on the school's general affordability and how many students finish, and ask the program directly about its own outcomes.
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 Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs, CO · Public · Simulation program · 3 miles
67.6
#28 of 89 nationally
3 miles from Colorado Springs
Technical track: simulation
Public
Three miles from Colorado Springs, this campus works for students who plan to live at home or nearby and commute. The degree is a Bachelor of Innovation in Game Design and Development, 120 credits, taught on campus, with programming and game design at the center and art and music alongside them.
Students stay in a city setting rather than relocating to a college town. School-wide, the cost of attendance is $30,355 before aid, and the net price for aided first-years is $16,816. The university enrolls 11,354 students, admits 97% of applicants, and sees 48% of entering students finish within eight years. Graduates earn $54,659 a decade out across all majors, and this program turns out about 9 graduates a year.
The rest of the Colorado Springs, CO metro and the nearby areas are covered on the Colorado page.
StateColorado3 ranked game bachelor's · 10 programs in allView the Colorado guide ›
More ways in
Other Game Programs in Colorado Springs
One more program inside the Colorado Springs metro offers a way into game work without a ranked bachelor's. These associate, graduate and certificate programs aren't in the bachelor's ranking, so they carry no score. Grads a year is the program's IPEDS average, 2022 to 2024, and admission is the college's fall 2024 rate (College Scorecard).
Software developers, the category that counts game programmers and engine developers, earn a median of $134,280 in the Colorado Springs metro. That's $1,700 below the national median and $4,110 below the Colorado median, and about 4,850 people hold those jobs here. The middle half of the pay range runs from $106,300 to $166,860.
$76,550–$122,940$77k–$123k$76,550 to $122,940, May 2024May 2024
230May 2024
$95,880May 2025
$104,000
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$60,790
$49,300–$79,840$49k–$80k$49,300 to $79,840
400
$66,330
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$117,020
$94,240–$152,030$94k–$152k$94,240 to $152,030
60
$104,610
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$93,090
$77,660–$112,150$78k–$112k$77,660 to $112,150
50
$99,990
$114,850
BLS doesn't publish special effects artists and animators pay for the Colorado Springs metro. Nationally, the median is $102,030. See animator salary › Annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025, for the Colorado Springs, CO metropolitan area. 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 the Colorado Springs metro in the current release.
BLS publishes no metro figure for the designers who cover game and UI work, or for special effects artists and animators, so you can't price the art side of the field locally. What it does show is graphic designers at $60,790 with 400 employed, which is $2,170 under the national median. Computer programmers do better at $117,020, $16,630 above the national median, though only 60 are counted. Art directors make $93,090.
Prices run slightly above the national average of 100, with a metro price level of 100.7. Housing is the pressure point at 116.2, so a programmer's salary here goes a little less far on rent than the national figures suggest.
About 4,850 people work as software developers in the Colorado Springs metro, a heavier concentration than the country as a whole (location quotient 1.41). BEA's index puts prices in the Colorado Springs metro near the U.S. average, at 100.7.
Census doesn't count game studios as their own industry. Most are counted under software publishers, and in the Colorado Springs metro that category holds 42 businesses and 1,380 employees, at 70% of the national concentration. That's a thin base if you're hoping to work for a publisher without leaving town.
Industry
What it covers
Businesses
Employees
Concentration
Software and game publishers
Software publishers (game publishers and studios are filed here)
42
1,380
0.70
Custom programming studios
Custom computer programming services (contract and co-development studios)
229
3,025
1.52
Film, video and animation production
Motion picture and video production (animation and VFX studios)
27
98
0.32
Graphic design firms
Graphic design services
40
150
1.55
Establishments and March payroll employees in the Colorado Springs, CO 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.
Contract programming is the local strength. Custom programming studios number 229 businesses, and they employ 3,025 people at 1.5 times the national concentration. Graphic design firms reach 1.6 times the national concentration, though only 150 people work in them. Animation and video production is weaker, with 98 employees and 32% of the national concentration.
By occupation, software developers show up more often in the metro than in the country overall, at a location quotient of 1.41. Graphic designers sit right at the national level, 1.00. Computer programmers (0.34) and art directors (0.43) are less common. For programming-minded graduates there's local work, but a studio art career probably means relocating or working remotely.
How Common Game-Adjacent Jobs Are in Colorado Springs
Occupation
Jobs per 1,000
Location quotient
Software developers
15.35
1.41
Graphic designers
1.27
1.00
Computer programmers
0.20
0.34
Art directors
0.15
0.43
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 Colorado Springs Produces
Across the 100-mile radius, 168 people a year complete game-related programs, and 84 of them earn bachelor's degrees. Inside the metro the number is 39. Pikes Peak State College produces 30 of those through an associate program, and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs adds nine.
The 9 largest game-related programs within 100 miles of central Colorado Springs by graduates a year, IPEDS completions averaged 2022 to 2024:
Set against 4,850 core jobs in the metro, those 39 graduates amount to 0.8%. Core jobs cover software developers, web and digital interface designers and animators, and few of those are game jobs. Graduates also move away, so the figure says the local pipeline is small relative to the job base, not how many game openings exist.
Cost near Colorado Springs
Paying for School in Colorado Springs
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak State College are both in Colorado, as are the three community colleges up the Front Range, so residents get the in-state rate everywhere nearby. At the university, Coloradans pay $9,022 and outsiders pay $23,155, a premium of $14,133. Pikes Peak State College is $4,058 in state and $16,658 out of state, with a $9,311 net price.
The public colleges within 100 miles that offer a game-related program, all in Colorado. 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).
Look up the Colorado Student Grant, run by the Colorado Department of Higher Education, if you're a Colorado resident. If you're coming from another western state, ask about the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) before you assume the out-of-state number applies to you.
State Aid in Colorado
Colorado's main need program for undergraduates is the Colorado Student Grant, run by the Colorado Department of Higher Education. In its own words: "Colorado Need-based Awards: Includes the Colorado Student Grant, Colorado Graduate Grant." The Colorado page covers state aid and public college costs in more detail.
Tuition Exchanges
Colorado belongs to the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE). In the program's own words, "WUE enables eligible students to enroll as nonresidents in 170 participating public colleges and universities and pay 150% (or less) of the enrolling institution’s resident tuition."
Living costs
Living in Colorado Springs as a Student
Rent here runs above the national figure. Median rent in the metro is $1,761 against $1,487 nationally, a gap of $274 on the high side. A one-bedroom averages $1,496 a month, or $17,952 over twelve months, and splitting a two-bedroom comes to $822 per person. The metro price level is 100.7 and housing is 116.2, so housing is the part that stings.
Monthly rent
Colorado Springs metro
U.S.
All rentals, median
$1,761
$1,487
One bedroom, median
$1,496
$1,301
Two bedrooms, median
$1,643
$1,490
Median gross rent (rent plus utilities the tenant pays), American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, tables B25064 and B25031.
Two colleges report on-campus room and board. The University of Colorado Colorado Springs charges $12,278, against $13,500 off campus, and the University of Denver charges $17,049. The community colleges farther north, and Pikes Peak State College too, have no campus housing, so you'd rent. Pikes Peak's off-campus estimate is $12,024.
Rent is the big cost in the Colorado Springs metro: the median is $1,761 a month, $274 over the U.S. median.
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.
How to Choose a Game Design Program in Colorado Springs
The ranked options here split into simulation and game design, with no ranked animation program close to the city. The university's program is a simulation program, while the University of Denver and Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design are both game design programs. If character art is your goal, the art college in Lakewood is the one to look at, and that means leaving the Springs.
Cost separates the sectors sharply. The one public ranked option has a $16,816 net price, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design is private for-profit at $27,459, and the University of Denver is private nonprofit at $43,324 with a published tuition of $60,048. With a gap that wide, ask each private school what the extra money buys.
You can live at home and attend the university, which is three miles out. The Denver-area schools are a different decision, since 57 and 63 miles are straight-line figures and a daily trip isn't realistic. The University of Denver has campus housing, while Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design lists none, so budget for an apartment there.
Admission is rarely the hard part here: 1 of the 2 colleges on this page admits anyone with a high school diploma; University of Colorado Colorado Springs admitted 97% of applicants for fall 2024. None requires SAT or ACT scores.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There a Ranked Option Among the Best Game Design Schools Near Colorado Springs?
University of Colorado Colorado Springs is the top-ranked game design school near Colorado Springs, scoring 67.6 and ranked 28 of 89 nationally. Price is its strength: aided first-year students pay $16,816, $9,334 under the ranking's median, though 48% completion trails the 59% median. About 9 students a year graduate from it, a mid-sized program by the ranking's standards. It is the only ranked game bachelor's in the metro. See the ranked programs.
What Do Software Developers Earn in Colorado Springs?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $134,280 in the Colorado Springs metro, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). About 4,850 people work as software developers in the Colorado Springs metro, a heavier concentration than the country as a whole (location quotient 1.41). BEA's index puts prices in the Colorado Springs metro near the U.S. average, at 100.7. See what game jobs pay in Colorado Springs.
How Much Is In-State Tuition at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs?
University of Colorado Colorado Springs has an average net price of $16,816 a year for aided first-year students (IPEDS), the price after grants rather than the published one. Published tuition is $9,022 for in-state students and $23,155 out of state. It is 3 miles from central Colorado Springs, ranked 28 of 89 nationally, with a school-wide completion rate of 48%. About 9 students a year graduate from it, a mid-sized program by the ranking's standards. See the ranked programs.
Can I Commute to a Denver-Area Game Design School From Colorado Springs?
1 ranked program sit inside the Colorado Springs metro, and 1 associate, graduate or certificate program adds other ways in. University of Colorado Colorado Springs scores highest, at 67.6. The top program is 3 miles from central Colorado Springs, close enough to commute if housing nearby is out of reach. 2 game-related programs sit within 25 miles of central Colorado Springs and 2 within 50, counting every level. The rest of the metro and the nearby areas are on the Colorado page. See the ranked programs.
What Should a Student Budget for Housing in Colorado Springs?
Median rent in the Colorado Springs metro was $1,761 a month in 2024, $274 above the U.S. median of $1,487 (Census ACS). A one-bedroom runs $1,496. On-campus room and board at nearby colleges starts at $12,278 a year at University of Colorado Colorado Springs, which bundles meals and avoids a lease. Housing is the expensive part: BEA puts it at 116.2 against a U.S. average of 100. See living in Colorado Springs as a student.
Keep exploring
Related Pages
CityDenver, CO62 mi from Colorado Springs · 7 programs within 50 miles · 2 ranked game bachelor'sView the Denver guide ›
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.
