Anyone hunting for game design schools near Kansas City will find animation, not game design, at the top of the list. Kansas City Art Institute sits 6 miles from the city center and ranks 42 of 82 among animation programs. Missouri Western State University, 46 miles away in Saint Joseph, ranks 27 of 82. No ranked game design bachelor's exists within 100 miles, though Johnson County Community College offers an associate program in game and interactive media design.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
3Game Programs Within 25 Milesgame design, programming, simulation and animation, all levelsIPEDS locations
4Game Programs Within 50 Milesabout an hour outIPEDS locations
4Game Programs Within 100 Milesat 3 colleges; 0 ranked game bachelor'sIPEDS locations
Game Design Schools Near Kansas City in 60 Seconds
Kansas City Art Institute leads the metro at 60.9.One ranked program sits inside the Kansas City metro. Completion is a strength at 64%, above the 59% median, but its $30,142 net price is $3,992 more than the median ranked program's.The Ranking ›
Software developers earn $124,990 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 12,160 people work as software developers in the metro, close to the national share. In Kansas City, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $75,690, which is 27% under the national median of $104,000.Pay ›
111 software and game publishers in the metro.Concentration 0.65, where 1.00 matches the U.S. Those publishers employ 4,771 people. The metro also has 385 custom programming studios and 64 film, video and animation production companies.Employers ›
In-state tuition starts at $2,520.2 public colleges nearby offer a game-related program. The highest in-state tuition nearby is $8,310, so where you enroll changes the bill a lot.Costs ›
A one-bedroom rents for $1,149 a month.The U.S. median one-bedroom is $1,301. Rent helps here, at a $1,315 monthly median in the Kansas City metro, $172 under the national figure. The lowest on-campus room and board nearby is $10,975 a year at Missouri Western State University.Living Costs ›
Ranked in Kansas City
The Best Game Design Schools in Kansas City, MO for 2027
Kansas City Art Institute is the one ranked program inside the metro, and it's an animation program, interactive technology, video graphics and special effects. It scores 60.9, ranks 42 of 82 and graduates 27 students a year. This is an animation ranking, so don't read it as a game design degree.
The school is private nonprofit, charging $43,000 in published tuition, with a net price of $30,142 across the school. The school-wide completion rate is 64%. Both figures describe the whole institution, not the animation program, so the net price is your starting point for a conversation with financial aid rather than a quote.
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 Kansas City.
Kansas City, MO · Private nonprofit · Animation program · 6 miles
60.9
#42 of 82 in animation
6 miles from Kansas City
Animation
Private
Kansas City Art Institute teaches animation in a three-story building with a dedicated studio for each student, about 6 miles from Kansas City's center. The studios hold stop-motion rooms, a traditional animation lightbox lab, digital pencil testers, a sound mastering studio, Dragonframe and Cinema 4D, plus Rokoko motion capture suits and an Oculus Rift S.
The B.F.A. starts with a Foundation year, then moves through Principles of Animation, Digital Methods and History of Animation before Senior Studio and Professional Practice. Classical, experimental and analog methods come first, and instruction follows a mentor-based studio model. Students can double major in animation and art history or in animation and creative writing.
Tuition is $43,000 for all students, with a school-wide net price of $30,142 for aided first-years. The college enrolls only 813 students, 55% of applicants are admitted, and 64% finish within eight years. About 27 students complete the animation degree annually.
The rest of the Kansas City, MO-KS metro and the nearby areas are covered on the Missouri and Kansas pages.
StateMissouri3 ranked game bachelor's · 8 programs in allView the Missouri guide ›
Also in the metroKansas1 ranked game bachelor's · 5 programs in allView the Kansas guide ›
More ways in
Other Game Programs in Kansas City
2 more programs inside the Kansas City metro offer 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).
Pay for game-adjacent work in Kansas City trails the national medians. Software developers, the group covering game programmers and engine developers, sit at a metro median of $124,990, which is $10,990 below the national median and $1,130 below Missouri's. About 12,160 work here, with the middle of the pack at $97,560 to $139,820.
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$59,990
$48,730–$75,550$49k–$76k$48,730 to $75,550
1,720
$56,750
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$101,830
$78,590–$119,730$79k–$120k$78,590 to $119,730
500
$90,420
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$88,610May 2025
$57,990–$118,710$58k–$119k$57,990 to $118,710, May 2025May 2025
370May 2024
$100,940May 2025
$114,850
Annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025, for the Kansas City, MO-KS 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 Kansas City metro in the current release. A cell marked with a dash means BLS didn't publish a figure for the Kansas City metro, usually because too few employers reported.
The creative occupations lag further. Game designers and UI designers are counted among web and digital interface designers, whose median is $75,690, or $28,310 under the national figure, though $4,720 above the state's. Special effects artists and animators earn $69,820, trailing the national median by $32,210, and BLS doesn't publish the number employed. Graphic designers earn $59,990, art directors $88,610 and computer programmers $101,830, the one group above the national median, by $1,440.
Cheaper living offsets some of that. Metro prices overall come in at 92.5, and housing alone at 86.6, both under the national average of 100.
About 12,160 people work as software developers in the Kansas City metro, close to the national share. In Kansas City, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $75,690, which is 27% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in the Kansas City metro: BEA puts prices 7.5% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further.
Census files most game studios under software publishers, not under an industry of their own. Kansas City's metro has 111 of those businesses employing 4,771 people, at 65% of the national concentration. Contract and co-development shops, counted as custom programming, number 385 with 4,385 employees at 60%.
Industry
What it covers
Businesses
Employees
Concentration
Software and game publishers
Software publishers (game publishers and studios are filed here)
111
4,771
0.65
Custom programming studios
Custom computer programming services (contract and co-development studios)
385
4,385
0.60
Film, video and animation production
Motion picture and video production (animation and VFX studios)
64
144
0.12
Graphic design firms
Graphic design services
116
271
0.76
Establishments and March payroll employees in the Kansas City, MO-KS 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.
Animation is almost absent. Film, video and animation production has 64 businesses and only 144 employees, at 12% of the national concentration, so an animation graduate from this area should expect to look at remote work or a move. Graphic design firms are stronger at 76%, with 116 businesses and 271 employees.
By occupation, software developers are a touch above the national rate at a location quotient of 1.02, and graphic designers more so at 1.23. Computer programmers sit at 0.77 and web and digital interface designers at 0.39, both less common than nationally. Kansas City is a decent place to work as a developer or designer in general, though a dedicated game job likely means leaving.
How Common Game-Adjacent Jobs Are in Kansas City
Occupation
Jobs per 1,000
Location quotient
Software developers
11.10
1.02
Web and digital interface designers
0.29
0.39
Graphic designers
1.57
1.23
Computer programmers
0.46
0.77
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 Kansas City Produces
Across the 100-mile radius, game-related programs turn out 69 graduates annually, 39 of them with bachelor's degrees. The largest single program is Kansas City Art Institute's animation degree at 27 a year, followed by Johnson County Community College's associate programs in game and interactive media design (16) and animation (15), then Missouri Western State University at 12.
The 4 largest game-related programs within 100 miles of central Kansas City by graduates a year, IPEDS completions averaged 2022 to 2024:
Colleges inside the metro graduate 57 a year, a ratio of 0.5% against 12,470 core jobs inside the metro. Those core jobs cover software developers, interface designers and animators, and the large majority sit outside games. People relocate after graduating too, so the ratio shows the pipeline is small, not how many game openings exist.
Cost near Kansas City
Paying for School in Kansas City
The two public colleges in range sit in different states. Missouri Western State University is in Missouri, so Missourians pay $8,310, with a net price of $12,764. Johnson County Community College is in Kansas, which makes it the cross-state option for a Kansas City, Missouri resident: $5,304 out of state versus $2,520 for Kansans, a premium of $2,784, with a net price of $13,949.
The public colleges within 100 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).
Access Missouri, from the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, is the state grant to look up if you're a Missouri resident. The Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP) is the tuition exchange worth asking about if you're crossing a state line to enroll.
State Aid in Missouri
Missouri's main need program for undergraduates is the Access Missouri, run by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. In its own words: "Access Missouri is a need-based program designed to be simple to understand, provide predictable, portable awards, and increase access to your school of choice." The Missouri page covers state aid and public college costs in more detail.
Tuition Exchanges
Missouri belongs to the Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP). In the program's own words, "MSEP offers a discounted tuition rate with an average annual tuition savings of $7,000.." It also says: "The program is volunteer based"
State line
Studying Across the State Line From Kansas City
The Kansas City, MO-KS metro spans Missouri and Kansas, so a public college a short drive away can charge you nonresident tuition. One of the public colleges listed above is across the line from Missouri.
State
In-state tuition
Nonresident tuition
Gap
Missouri
$8,649
$18,073
$9,424
Kansas
$7,625
$19,960
$12,335
Average published undergraduate tuition at each state's public four-year colleges, 2023-24 (IPEDS IC).
All of these states belong to the Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP), which can cut nonresident tuition at participating public colleges, so ask each one whether its game program is included.
Living costs
Living in Kansas City as a Student
Kansas City is cheap against the rest of the country. The metro median rent is $1,315, $172 under what the country pays. A one-bedroom costs $1,149 a month, or $13,788 over twelve months, and splitting a two-bedroom gets you to $648 per person. The housing price level is 86.6 against a national average of 100.
Monthly rent
Kansas City metro
U.S.
All rentals, median
$1,315
$1,487
One bedroom, median
$1,149
$1,301
Two bedrooms, median
$1,296
$1,490
Median gross rent (rent plus utilities the tenant pays), American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, tables B25064 and B25031.
Two of the three colleges report on-campus room and board: Missouri Western State University at $10,975 and Kansas City Art Institute at $12,900. Johnson County Community College has no campus housing, so you'd rent nearby, and its off-campus estimate is $13,324.
Rent helps here, at a $1,315 monthly median in the Kansas City metro, $172 under the national figure.
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 Kansas City
The ranked options here lean toward art. Both ranked bachelor's programs are animation, and no ranked game design or programming program turns up in range. If you want to write game code, the realistic routes are the associate program at Johnson County Community College, a software or computer science major elsewhere, or an online degree.
Public versus private is a real price gap. Missouri Western State University has a net price of $12,764, while Kansas City Art Institute is $30,142. Those are school-wide figures, so completion rates travel with them: 40% at Missouri Western and 64% at Kansas City Art Institute. Weigh them as institution-level facts, not program outcomes.
Commuting works for Kansas City Art Institute, 6 miles away, and for Johnson County Community College at 17 miles. Miles are straight-line, so your actual trip will be longer. Missouri Western State University is 46 miles out, in Saint Joseph, which means living on campus or committing to a long daily trip, and it has campus housing.
Admission is rarely the hard part here: 1 of the 2 colleges on this page admits anyone with a high school diploma; Kansas City Art Institute admitted 55% of applicants for fall 2024. None requires SAT or ACT scores.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Best Game Design Schools Near Kansas City?
Kansas City Art Institute has the top-ranked program near Kansas City, an animation bachelor's scoring 60.9. Completion is a strength at 64%, above the 59% median, but its $30,142 net price is $3,992 more than the median ranked program's. With about 27 graduates a year, it is one of the larger programs in the ranking, so expect big cohorts and several sections of core courses. It is the only ranked game bachelor's in the metro. See the ranked programs.
What Do Game Programmers Earn in Kansas City?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $124,990 in the Kansas City metro, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). In the Kansas City metro, web and digital interface designers, where game designers are counted, earn $75,690, which is 27% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in the Kansas City metro: BEA puts prices 7.5% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further. See what game jobs pay in Kansas City.
What Does a Public College Near Kansas City Charge in Tuition?
In-state tuition at public colleges near Kansas City starts at $8,310 a year, at Missouri Western State University. Nonresidents pay $17,220 at Missouri Western State University. 2 public colleges within 100 miles offer a game-related program, and private colleges charge every student the same tuition. After grants, Missouri Western State University has the lowest average net price nearby, $12,764, under the $13,240 public average in the median state. See paying for school in Kansas City.
What Are the Admission Odds at Colleges Around Kansas City?
Admission is rarely the hard part here: 1 of the 2 colleges on this page admits anyone with a high school diploma; Kansas City Art Institute admitted 55% of applicants for fall 2024. None requires SAT or ACT scores. Starting at an open-admission college and transferring after two years is the most reliable way in. The nearest open-admission option is Johnson County Community College, 17 miles from central Kansas City. Each program card shows its college's admission rate where one is reported. See how to choose a program.
How Many Game Design Programs Are Near Kansas City?
1 ranked program sit inside the Kansas City metro, and 2 associate, graduate or certificate programs add other ways in. Kansas City Art Institute scores highest, at 60.9. The top program is 6 miles from central Kansas City, close enough to commute if housing nearby is out of reach. 3 game-related programs sit within 25 miles of central Kansas City and 4 within 50, counting every level. The rest of the metro and the nearby areas are on the Missouri and Kansas pages. See the ranked programs.
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.
