Colorado's three ranked game design schools in Colorado split three ways: a public simulation program at University of Colorado Colorado Springs, ranked 28 of 89, and two private design programs in the Denver area. None cracks the top 30 nationally, but the state pays programmers well and has an extra public animation option at Colorado Mesa University. Expect to compare price, focus and graduation odds.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
3Game Design Bachelor's Programs Ranked for 2027top score: University of Colorado Colorado SpringsOur ranking
10Game-Related Programs in the State5 bachelor's, 5 associate, 0 graduateIPEDS
$27.5kMedian Net Pricebachelor's schools here, aided first-year studentsIPEDS
University of Colorado Colorado Springs leads at 67.6.3 ranked programs in Colorado, scored on completion, net price and size. It finishes 48% of its students and has a $16,816 net price. Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design is next at 50.7.The Ranking ›
Software developers earn $138,390 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 43,320 people work as software developers in Colorado. In Colorado, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $95,880, which is 8% under the national median of $104,000. Prices in Colorado run 3.1% above the U.S. average on BEA's index, which takes a bite out of both pay and a student budget.Pay ›
Living costs run above the U.S. average.Prices in Colorado run 3.1% above the U.S. average on BEA's index, which takes a bite out of both pay and a student budget.Prices ›
Public in-state tuition averages $6,912.The Colorado Student Grant is Colorado's main state grant. Aided in-state students pay $13,796 on average across 27 public four-year colleges, about what the median state charges. Out of state, tuition averages $19,408.Costs ›
City guides: Denver and Colorado Springs.Each ranks the programs nearby with distances, and covers local pay, the software and media employers in the metro, how many graduates compete for jobs, and rent.City Guides ›
Colorado in brief
Key Facts About Studying Game Design in Colorado
The three ranked bachelor's programs are University of Colorado Colorado Springs (simulation, score 67.6, nine graduates a year), University of Denver (game design, score 39.7, six graduates) and Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (game design, score 50.6, 23 graduates). They rank 28, 84 and 67 of 89. Only one is public.
Colorado counts 11 game-related programs across nine colleges, including six associate programs and no graduate programs. On the animation side, Colorado Mesa University scores 71.1 at a $15,076 net price, which beats every ranked Colorado program on price, while Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design scores 54.0 for animation.
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 Colorado
The 3 Best Game Design Schools in Colorado for 2027
University of Colorado Colorado Springs leads, ranked 28 of 89 in the national game design ranking, with a completion rate of 48% and an average net price of $16,816. One of the 3 is public. The best game design schools ranking shows how these compare with every school in the country.
Each ranked program in Colorado, 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.
Colorado Springs, CO · Public · Simulation program
67.6
#28 of 89 nationally
Lowest net price in Colorado
Technical track: simulation
Public
Colorado residents get a city campus in Colorado Springs and a degree built to produce either a founder or an employee. The Bachelor of Innovation in Game Design and Development is aimed at students who want to start their own small game company, join an entertainment studio, or work with serious games for training, education and health care.
Residency changes the bill. In-state published tuition is $9,022 a year, while the cost of attendance runs $30,355 school-wide before aid, and aided first-years pay a net price of $16,816. School-wide, 48% of entering students complete within eight years and graduates earn $54,659 ten years out across all majors. Admission is open at a 97% admit rate. Roughly 9 students finish the game program each year.
Lakewood, CO · Private for-profit · Game design program
50.7
#67 of 89 nationally
Largest program in Colorado
Private
Colorado's largest game program on this list is at RMCAD in Lakewood, a suburban campus, where about 23 students graduate from the Game Art BFA each year. Students leave with a portfolio built around either environment art or character art, using 3D modeling, texturing, rigging and lighting for real-time engines.
Because the college is private, tuition is $17,760 for residents and nonresidents alike. Small class sizes give direct access to faculty. Across the college, 2,061 students are enrolled, the net price for aided first-years is $27,459 and 31% finish within eight years. Earnings ten years after entry average $42,958 across all majors, so students should weigh cost against portfolio strength. Instructors on the online side are working industry professionals, and the same BFA is available to students who want a campus schedule.
Denver, CO · Private nonprofit · Game design program
39.9
#83 of 89 nationally
Highest completion in Colorado
Private
The University of Denver's Bachelor of Science in Game Development is a computer science degree with an art side. Students take 52 credits of computing courses, minor in mathematics, and add a second minor in art, emergent digital practices or another approved creative discipline.
For Colorado students, the figure to know is that tuition is $60,048 for everyone, since this is a private university with no in-state rate. Net price for aided first-year students is $43,324 school-wide, against $82,566 cost of attendance before aid. The program graduates about 6 students a year in Denver, and 75% of entering students across the university finish within eight years.
A 10-week capstone has student teams build a working game from scratch. Admission is open to 78% of applicants, and the SAT midpoint is 1325.
Animation bachelor's programs in Colorado, scored the same way and listed in score order. Completion and net price are school-wide IPEDS figures; grads a year is the program's 2022-2024 average.
Programs reported to IPEDS, with graduates per year averaged 2022 to 2024. Associate and graduate programs aren't in the bachelor's ranking, so they carry no score here.
Colorado's best-paid game-adjacent job is software development. The state median is $138,390, edging the national figure by $2,410, with 43,320 people employed. Computer programmers earn $104,610, and graphic designers earn $66,330, both slightly above their national medians.
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$66,330
$55,000–$85,810$55k–$86k$55,000 to $85,810
4,200
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$104,610
$76,190–$159,810$76k–$160k$76,190 to $159,810
930
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$99,990
$81,910–$123,570$82k–$124k$81,910 to $123,570
720
$114,850
Annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025. The middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
Pay in Colorado's Largest Metro Areas
Metro area
Software developers
Web and digital interface designers
Special effects artists and animators
Price level
Denver-Aurora-Centennial
$137,610
$98,330
$91,290
105.8
Colorado Springs
$134,280
$96,990May 2024
Not published
100.7
Boulder
$164,560
$139,900
Not published
105.2
Median annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025, for the state's largest metropolitan areas by total employment, all in Colorado. Price level is BEA's Regional Price Parity for 2024, where the U.S. average is 100. Figures tagged May 2024 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.
The design and art jobs pay under the national figure. Interface designers, whose BLS group includes game designers, earn $95,880, which trails the nation by $8,120. Animators and 3D artists earn $91,290 and only 210 hold those jobs, while art directors earn $99,990, short of the national figure by $14,860.
Boulder is the standout. It pays software developers $164,560, computer programmers $155,030 and interface designers $139,900, far above anything else in the state. Denver-Aurora-Centennial pays software developers $137,610 and graphic designers $72,500, and Colorado Springs pays computer programmers $117,020, above the state median.
Costs here run a bit above average, with a state price level of 103.1, so prices run about 3.1% above the national average. Boulder is at 105.2 and Denver-Aurora-Centennial at 105.8, while Colorado Springs is cheaper at 100.7. That helps explain why a Colorado Springs degree plus a Colorado Springs job can stretch further than the Denver equivalent.
About 43,320 people work as software developers in Colorado. In Colorado, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $95,880, which is 8% under the national median of $104,000. Prices in Colorado run 3.1% above the U.S. average on BEA's index, which takes a bite out of both pay and a student budget.
The game design salary pages explain what each occupation covers and how game studios fit inside it.
Cost in Colorado
Paying for School in Colorado
Colorado has 27 public four-year colleges. Resident tuition averages $6,912 and aided residents pay a net price near $13,796. Nonresidents pay $19,408 on average, which is $12,496 more.
Public colleges in CO
Figure
Public four-year colleges
27
Average in-state tuition
$6,912
Average out-of-state tuition
$19,408
Average net price, aided in-state students
$13,796
Means across Colorado's public four-year degree-granting colleges that offer undergraduate study: tuition from IPEDS for 2023-24 (24 colleges reporting), net price for 2022-23 (24 reporting). Net price is what first-year students with grant aid paid after grants.
Aided in-state students pay $13,796 on average across 27 public four-year colleges, about what the median state charges.
The one public school with a ranked game program charges $8,915 for residents and $23,580 for nonresidents, a $14,665 difference. Residents get a real discount at University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and the same school becomes expensive if you come from out of state.
The Colorado Student Grant, from the Colorado Department of Higher Education, is need-based. The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is also available, and Arizona and Utah are the nearby members with public game programs, so a WUE rate may beat the nonresident price if you cross a border.
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." Fill out the FAFSA early, since many state programs award money until it runs out.
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."
Price and graduation odds split the field. University of Colorado Colorado Springs has a $16,816 net price and a 48% completion rate. University of Denver costs $43,324 with a 75% completion rate, and Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design costs $27,459 with a 31% completion rate. Think about the full cost of leaving without a degree before you pick the cheaper private school, because a 31% completion rate means most starters don't finish there. Ask each admissions office for the rate in the game major itself.
Focus matters too. University of Colorado Colorado Springs offers a simulation program, closer to training and serious games, while University of Denver and Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design are design degrees. If you want game programming, there is no ranked program in the state, so pair a computer science degree with game projects.
Leaving Colorado is a reasonable option. Arizona and Utah each have three game design bachelor's programs, Oklahoma has two and Kansas has one. Compare them against the $16,816 you would pay at University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and ask for a WUE price before you decide. Visiting a campus and talking to current students is worth the trip, since the three Colorado programs differ a lot in size and in how much studio time they give you.
Neighboring States
Neighboring stateArizona3 ranked game bachelor's · 16 programs in allView the Arizona guide ›
Neighboring stateUtah3 ranked game bachelor's · 5 programs in allView the Utah guide ›
Neighboring stateOklahoma2 ranked game bachelor's · 2 programs in allView the Oklahoma guide ›
Neighboring stateKansas1 ranked game bachelor's · 5 programs in allView the Kansas guide ›
Neighboring stateNebraskaNo programs; the guide lists the nearestView the Nebraska guide ›
Neighboring stateNew Mexico4 related programs, no game bachelor'sView the New Mexico guide ›
Neighboring stateWyomingNo programs; the guide lists the nearestView the Wyoming guide ›
City guides
Cities in Colorado
2 cities in Colorado have their own guides, ranking every program inside the metro and within 50 miles of the city center (100 miles for a large city with few programs close by), with distances, metro pay and nearby public college costs.
Colorado Springs, CO9 programs within 100 miles · 3 ranked game bachelor'sView the Colorado Springs guide ›
Denver, CO7 programs within 50 miles · 2 ranked game bachelor'sView the Denver guide ›
Which Colorado School Ranks Highest for Game Design?
University of Colorado Colorado Springs is the top-ranked game design school in Colorado, 28 of 89 in our national ranking, followed by Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design at 67. It finishes 48% of its students and has an average net price of $16,816 for aided first-year students, both school-wide IPEDS figures, and the program graduates about 9 students a year. It is also the lowest-priced of the 3 ranked here. Out-of-state students pay $14,133 more a year in published tuition there. See all 3 ranked Colorado programs in the state ranking.
What Is the Programming Pay in Colorado Cities?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $138,390 in Colorado, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). In Colorado, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $95,880, which is 8% under the national median of $104,000. Prices in Colorado run 3.1% above the U.S. average on BEA's index, which takes a bite out of both pay and a student budget. About 43,320 people work as software developers in Colorado. See what game jobs pay in Colorado.
What Does a Colorado Public Game Program Cost?
Neither is better across the board in Colorado: 1 of the 3 ranked programs are public and 2 are private, and the best choice depends on what you pay and whether you finish. The public ones have a median net price of $16,816 against $35,392 at the private ones. Median completion is 48% at the public colleges and 53% at the private ones, school-wide. See the state ranking.
Is There a Cheaper Animation Option in Colorado?
Special effects artists and animators earn a median of $91,290 in Colorado (BLS May 2025), against $102,030 nationally. The occupation covers film, TV and advertising as well as games. In all, 4 animation programs are offered in Colorado across every degree level. Colorado has 2 ranked animation bachelor's programs, led by Colorado Mesa University. See what game jobs pay in Colorado.
Can I Get a Tuition Break From a Neighboring State?
Yes, through the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE): Colorado is a member, and in the exchange'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." Each college decides which programs and how many seats take part, so check the specific game program before you count on a discount. For comparison, out-of-state tuition at Colorado's own public colleges averages $19,408 against $6,912 in state. See paying for school in Colorado.
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.
