Delaware is small but its game design schools in Delaware rank high: University of Delaware, a public school in Newark, sits 11 of 89, and Wilmington University, in New Castle, sits one spot behind at 20 of 89. One is a design degree and the other a programming degree, and the net prices are $17,716 and $14,267. For a state this size, that is an unusually good pair of choices, and both are close to Wilmington, the state's largest city, which has about 73,176 residents.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
2Game Design Bachelor's Programs Ranked for 2027top score: University of DelawareOur ranking
3Game-Related Programs in the State3 bachelor's, 0 associate, 0 graduateIPEDS
$14.3kMedian Net Pricebachelor's schools here, aided first-year studentsIPEDS
University of Delaware leads at 76.0.2 ranked programs in Delaware, scored on completion, net price and size. It finishes 82% of its students and has a $17,716 net price. Wilmington University is next at 72.2.The Ranking ›
Software developers earn $133,020 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 3,380 people work as software developers in Delaware. In Delaware, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $93,880, which is 10% under the national median of $104,000. BEA's index puts prices in Delaware near the U.S. average, at 99.8.Pay ›
Living costs sit near the U.S. average.BEA's index puts prices in Delaware near the U.S. average, at 99.8.Prices ›
Public in-state tuition averages $9,053.The Scholarship Incentive Program is Delaware's main state grant. Aided in-state students pay $13,706 on average across 4 public four-year colleges, about what the median state charges. Out of state, tuition averages $22,533.Costs ›
Delaware in brief
Key Facts About Studying Game Design in Delaware
Delaware has two ranked bachelor's programs, one public and one private. University of Delaware files its program as game design, scores 75.9, and graduates only four students a year, though its completion rate is 82%. Wilmington University files game programming, scores 72.2, graduates 12 a year, and has a 48% completion rate.
A third entry is an animation bachelor's, also at Wilmington University, that scores 67.9. In total the state counts three game-related programs across two colleges, with no associate or graduate programs. Almost everything you can study here is at one of those two campuses, so the real decision is which of the two fits how you learn, and whether you want a big public campus in Newark or a commuter-friendly school in New Castle with more flexible schedules.
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 Delaware
The 2 Best Game Design Schools in Delaware for 2027
University of Delaware leads, ranked 11 of 89 in the national game design ranking, with a completion rate of 82% and an average net price of $17,716. One of the 2 is public. The best game design schools ranking shows how these compare with every school in the country.
Each ranked program in Delaware, 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.
Delaware residents get the lowest price at their flagship: tuition is $14,600 a year in state and $39,190 out of state, a difference of $24,590. The University of Delaware's campus in Newark has a suburban setting, and the Game Studies and Esports B.A. is housed in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
A focus area shapes the degree, choosing among games and society, design and development, or industry and esport management. Students end with an analytical capstone or a team-built video game. School-wide, the admit rate is 71%, net price is $17,716 and 82% finish within eight years. The program graduates about four students annually, so cohorts are close-knit and the internship is hands-on. The campus is a short stop from the city of Newark itself, and tuition for state residents is $14,600.
New Castle, DE · Private nonprofit · Game programming program
72.2
#20 of 89 nationally
Net price earns full cost points
Technical track: game programming
Private
For a Delaware student, this is a private nonprofit campus in suburban New Castle, so the tuition is the same whether a student lives in the state or arrives from elsewhere: $12,570, with no out-of-state premium. That removes the residency math that complicates public options. The university also offers courses at a Brandywine location, which gives students in other parts of the state a second place to attend.
The program is described as one of the only four-year accredited video game designer degrees in its region, which matters when choosing without leaving Delaware. Students pick Game Art Production or Interactive Programming. Across the university, enrollment is 13,746 and net price after aid is $14,267 for first-years. About 12 students complete this degree annually.
Animation bachelor's programs in Delaware, 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.
Delaware's wage data is thin, so read it with care. Software developers land at $133,020, only $2,960 under the national figure, with 3,380 employed. Interface designers, where BLS counts game designers, earn $93,880, and just 130 hold those jobs.
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$60,130
$49,050–$76,820$49k–$77k$49,050 to $76,820
360
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$100,700May 2024
$78,020–$135,770$78k–$136k$78,020 to $135,770, May 2024May 2024
450May 2025
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$97,320May 2024
$85,400–$103,590$85k–$104k$85,400 to $103,590, May 2024May 2024
40May 2024
$114,850
BLS doesn't publish special effects artists and animators pay for Delaware. 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 Delaware in the current release.
Pay in Delaware's Largest Metro Areas
Metro area
Software developers
Price level
Dover, DE
$107,530
97.5
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. 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.
BLS publishes no Delaware figure for animators and 3D artists, for computer programmers or for art directors, though 450 programmers work in the state. Graphic designers are the one other published figure, at $60,130, not far from the national $62,960.
The only metro in the data is Dover, and it pays below the state median: $107,530 for software developers, $49,490 for graphic designers and $72,110 for computer programmers. Dover is not where the best-paying jobs sit, and the data has no other Delaware metro to compare it with. Many Delaware graduates look to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington for studio work, since the state itself employs very few game designers and animators.
Delaware's price level is 99.8, essentially at the national average, and Dover is at 97.5. That means your salary buys about what it would in an average American city. Expect to start in testing or a junior design, art or coding seat, and expect your first salary to depend heavily on which metro you pick.
About 3,380 people work as software developers in Delaware. In Delaware, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $93,880, which is 10% under the national median of $104,000. BEA's index puts prices in Delaware near the U.S. average, at 99.8.
The game design salary pages explain what each occupation covers and how game studios fit inside it.
Cost in Delaware
Paying for School in Delaware
Delaware has four public four-year colleges. Resident tuition averages $9,053 and aided residents pay about $13,706 net. Nonresident tuition averages $22,533, a $13,480 premium.
Public colleges in DE
Figure
Public four-year colleges
4
Average in-state tuition
$9,053
Average out-of-state tuition
$22,533
Average net price, aided in-state students
$13,706
Means across Delaware's public four-year degree-granting colleges that offer undergraduate study: tuition from IPEDS for 2023-24 (3 colleges reporting), net price for 2022-23 (3 reporting). Net price is what first-year students with grant aid paid after grants.
Aided in-state students pay $13,706 on average across 4 public four-year colleges, about what the median state charges.
At the public school with a game program, residents pay $14,600 in tuition while nonresidents pay $39,190, a difference of $24,590. That is a steep penalty, so Delaware residents get the most from University of Delaware, and non-residents should look at Wilmington University or other states.
The Scholarship Incentive Program, from the Delaware Higher Education Office, is need-based. Delaware also belongs to the Academic Common Market, which can bring in-state tuition at an out-of-state public school if your major is not offered at home, and Maryland has public game programs close by.
State Aid in Delaware
Delaware's main need program for undergraduates is the Scholarship Incentive Program, run by the Delaware Higher Education Office. In its own words: "Needs-based scholarship for students enrolled full-time at a Delaware institution or enrolled full-time at an out-of-state accredited institution in a program not offered in the State of Delaware." Fill out the FAFSA early, since many state programs award money until it runs out.
Tuition Exchanges
Delaware 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 first decision is design versus programming. University of Delaware leans design, and Wilmington University leans programming. If you can already code and want to build systems, Wilmington University fits. If you want to build levels and rules, University of Delaware does.
Price and outcome pull in opposite directions. Wilmington University has the lower net price, but its 48% completion rate is far below the 82% at University of Delaware, so ask about advising and part-time schedules. University of Delaware graduates only four a year, so ask how large the cohort and the studio space really are before you commit to a campus visit.
Delaware is close to many options. Pennsylvania has seven game design bachelor's programs, Maryland has two and New Jersey has one. A Maryland public school may cost less than the nonresident price through the Academic Common Market, so ask whether your major qualifies. Application rules vary by program, and the exchange helps only if the home state does not offer the major, so confirm eligibility before you rely on the lower price.
Neighboring States
Neighboring statePennsylvania5 ranked game bachelor's · 10 programs in allView the Pennsylvania guide ›
Neighboring stateMaryland2 ranked game bachelor's · 7 programs in allView the Maryland guide ›
Neighboring stateNew Jersey1 ranked game bachelor's · 14 programs in allView the New Jersey guide ›
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There a Ranked Game Design Degree in Delaware?
University of Delaware is the top-ranked game design school in Delaware, 11 of 89 in our national ranking, followed by Wilmington University at 20. It finishes 82% of its students and has an average net price of $17,716 for aided first-year students, both school-wide IPEDS figures, and the program graduates about 4 students a year. The cheapest ranked option is Wilmington University at $14,267, though it finishes 48% of students. Out-of-state students pay $24,590 more a year in published tuition there. See all 2 ranked Delaware programs in the state ranking.
How Does Delaware Compare for Programmer Pay?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $133,020 in Delaware, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). In Delaware, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $93,880, which is 10% under the national median of $104,000. BEA's index puts prices in Delaware near the U.S. average, at 99.8. About 3,380 people work as software developers in Delaware. See what game jobs pay in Delaware.
Do Delaware Residents Get a Discount at the Public School?
Yes, through the Academic Common Market (ACM): Delaware is a member, and in the exchange'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." 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 Delaware's own public colleges averages $22,533 against $9,053 in state. See paying for school in Delaware.
What Does Wilmington University Cost?
Wilmington University has an average net price of $14,267 a year for aided first-year students (IPEDS), the price after grants rather than the published one. Published tuition is $12,570 for every student, in state or not. It is in Delaware, ranked 20 of 89 nationally, with a school-wide completion rate of 48%. Your own price depends on your family's income, so run the college's net price calculator before you compare it with others. See the state ranking.
How Much More Do Out-of-State Students Pay in Delaware?
Out-of-state students pay about $13,480 more a year in tuition at Delaware's public four-year colleges, where in-state tuition averages $9,053 against $22,533 for nonresidents (IPEDS 2023-24). After grants, aided in-state students pay an average net price of $13,706. Delaware 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 Delaware.
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.
