Best Game Design Schools in Massachusetts for 2027
Massachusetts has four ranked bachelor's programs, all game design programs, and only one is public. If you're weighing game design schools in Massachusetts, Fitchburg State University leads at 9 of 89 nationally and costs $15,820 net. Worcester Polytechnic Institute ranks 66 of 89, but its net price is $47,799. This page covers what the jobs pay, what college costs and how to choose.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
4Game Design Bachelor's Programs Ranked for 2027top score: Fitchburg State UniversityOur ranking
13Game-Related Programs in the State8 bachelor's, 3 associate, 2 graduateIPEDS
$33.9kMedian Net Pricebachelor's schools here, aided first-year studentsIPEDS
Fitchburg State University leads at 79.4.4 ranked programs in Massachusetts, scored on completion, net price and size. It finishes 58% of its students and has a $15,820 net price. Hampshire College is next at 54.0.The Ranking ›
Software developers earn $165,210 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 48,190 people work as software developers in Massachusetts. Web and digital interface designers, where BLS counts game designers, earn $113,540 in Massachusetts, 9% more than the $104,000 national median. Prices in Massachusetts run 5.8% 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 Massachusetts run 5.8% 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 $5,575.The MASSGrant is Massachusetts's main state grant. Public colleges cost more here than in most states, with aided in-state students paying $18,025 on average across 15, against $13,240 in the median state. Out of state, tuition averages $17,349.Costs ›
City guides: Boston, Worcester and more.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 ›
Massachusetts in brief
Key Facts About Studying Game Design in Massachusetts
Four ranked programs, one public and three private. Fitchburg State University turns out 34 graduates a year and scores 79.3. Worcester Polytechnic Institute scores 51.0 with 22 graduates a year, Hampshire College scores 53.9 with 3, and Northeastern University scores 51.9 with 1.
Every ranked program here is a game design program. None offers a game programming program or simulation. Across the state, 10 colleges run 13 game-related programs, including 3 associate programs and 2 graduate programs. Animation bachelor's programs add Clark University, Montserrat College of Art, Lesley University, plus Northeastern University again.
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 Massachusetts
The 4 Best Game Design Schools in Massachusetts for 2027
Fitchburg State University leads, ranked 9 of 89 in the national game design ranking, with a completion rate of 58% and an average net price of $15,820. One of the 4 is public. The best game design schools ranking shows how these compare with every school in the country.
Each ranked program in Massachusetts, 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.
In-state, this is the largest game design program in Massachusetts, with about 34 graduates a year, and one of the cheapest. Published tuition for residents is $970 a year, aided first-years pay $15,820 net school-wide, and the cost of attendance runs $30,398 before aid. Fitchburg sits in a suburban setting among 5,892 students.
The curriculum starts from game design concepts and visual art foundations, adds programming fundamentals and ends in a semester-long capstone spent in either a game studio or a media internship. Students can also take Arts and Game Design in Japan, a course that visits major studios. The university admits 87% of applicants. School-wide, 58% of entering students complete in eight years, and graduates earn $53,874 ten years after entering, across all majors.
Amherst, MA · Private nonprofit · Game design program
54.0
#57 of 89 nationally
Private
Within Massachusetts, Hampshire stands out as an experimental, student-directed option in a rural setting. Game design here is project-based. Students craft their own courses of study, collaborate across disciplines and finish with games for a portfolio, built on a foundation of teamwork, iterative development, user testing and storytelling.
The program takes up courses such as Pixelbending, Women in Game Programming and Interdisciplinary Game Project, and the library offers a game lab with modern and historical consoles, including an Atari 2600. Tuition is $57,158 at this private nonprofit, the same for residents and others. Aided first-years across the college pay $27,556 net, against a $77,344 cost of attendance. About 3 students graduate from the program annually. School-wide, 64% of entering students finish within eight years, and earnings ten years out average $46,938 across all majors.
Completion
64%school-wide
Net price
$27,556aided first-years
Grads a year
3this program
Earnings
$46,93810 yrs, all majors
Out-of-state premium
None (private)same tuition for all students
Campus setting
Ruralone of the few rural campuses of the 89 ranked
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · Game design program
52.0
#64 of 89 nationally
Highest completion in Massachusetts
Private
Massachusetts residents will find no in-state price break at Northeastern: tuition is $64,990 for everyone, since the university is private. School-wide, the net price for aided first-year students is $34,770, and the cost of attendance before aid is $88,542.
The BFA in Game Design is a creative-side degree whose learning outcomes span research, craft, history, collaboration and entrepreneurship, including writing and presenting pitches. Career paths named on the page include game designer, level designer, producer, game writer and playtester. About 1 student a year completes the major, in a city setting, within a university where 91% of entrants finish in eight years.
The university enrolls 32,553 students. Ten-year earnings for graduates of all majors are $92,538, and the SAT midpoint is 1490.
Worcester, MA · Private nonprofit · Game design program
51.0
#66 of 89 nationally
Private
Massachusetts students will not find a resident discount at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. It is private, with tuition of $59,700 for everyone, and cost of attendance before aid is $81,751. School-wide, aided first-year students pay $47,799 net.
What the price buys is a game degree with an unusual range. The IMGD faculty describe the program as one of the only academic units in the nation housing every area of games and interactive media together. A student can also pair the bachelor's with a master's through a dual-degree option. About 22 students graduate each year, and the university enrolls 7,584 in a city setting.
Across the university, 88% of entering students finish within eight years, and graduates of all majors earn $103,470 ten years after entry. The admit rate is 60%.
Animation bachelor's programs in Massachusetts, 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.
Associate and Graduate Game Programs in Massachusetts
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.
Massachusetts pays well across the board. Game programmers are counted among software developers, who have a state median of $165,210, a lead of $29,230 on the national median. Interface design, the closest category for game and UI designers, pays $113,540, or $9,540 above. BLS publishes no game-only wage, so these are the nearest occupations.
$63,090–$98,370$63k–$98k$63,090 to $98,370, May 2025May 2025
270May 2024
$102,030
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$76,710
$60,030–$95,990$60k–$96k$60,030 to $95,990
4,450
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$128,390
$101,290–$141,660$101k–$142k$101,290 to $141,660
1,930
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$149,320
$101,290–$169,710$101k–$170k$101,290 to $169,710
1,850
$114,850
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 Massachusetts in the current release.
Pay in Massachusetts's Largest Metro Areas
Metro area
Software developers
Web and digital interface designers
Special effects artists and animators
Price level
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$166,090
$122,270
$80,640
108.3
Worcester, MA
$146,950
$94,500
$76,970
102.5
Springfield, MA
$127,740
$91,280
Not published
96.1
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.
Art directors stand out at $149,320, or $34,470 above the national median, with 1,850 employed. That is a senior role and rarely a first job, but it shows where an art career can go here. Graphic designers, a common first stop for art and UI graduates, earn $76,710. Special effects artists and animators are the exception at $80,640, or $21,390 below the national median, while BLS publishes no employment count for them.
Boston-Cambridge-Newton is the top metro for almost everything: software developers at $166,090, interface designers at $122,270 and art directors at $151,820. Worcester follows with software developers at $146,950. Springfield is the lowest of the three at $127,740 for software developers, and BLS publishes no animator or programmer figure there. Entry-level work usually means QA testing, a junior design seat, art and UI work, or junior programming, and Boston is where the most roles sit.
The cost of living takes some of that back. Prices run about 5.8% above the national average, a state price level of 105.8. Boston is at 108.3, Worcester at 102.5 and Springfield at 96.1, so working in Worcester or Springfield trims rent without leaving the state.
About 48,190 people work as software developers in Massachusetts. Web and digital interface designers, where BLS counts game designers, earn $113,540 in Massachusetts, 9% more than the $104,000 national median. Prices in Massachusetts run 5.8% 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 Massachusetts
Paying for School in Massachusetts
Public college here is among the cheapest in the country at the game schools. Residents pay $970 in public tuition at those schools and nonresidents pay $7,050, a gap of $6,080. Across all 15 public four-year colleges, average in-state tuition is $5,575, out-of-state is $17,349, and the premium is $11,774.
Public colleges in MA
Figure
Public four-year colleges
15
Average in-state tuition
$5,575
Average out-of-state tuition
$17,349
Average net price, aided in-state students
$18,025
Means across Massachusetts's public four-year degree-granting colleges that offer undergraduate study: tuition from IPEDS for 2023-24 (14 colleges reporting), net price for 2022-23 (14 reporting). Net price is what first-year students with grant aid paid after grants.
Public colleges cost more here than in most states, with aided in-state students paying $18,025 on average across 15, against $13,240 in the median state.
At those public colleges, aided in-state students face an average net price of $18,025. MASSGrant is the need-based state grant, run by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance. New England's Tuition Break is the regional exchange to check if you live in a neighboring New England state.
State Aid in Massachusetts
Massachusetts's main need program for undergraduates is the MASSGrant, run by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance. In its own words: "The MASSGrant program is funded by the state Legislature and provides need-based financial assistance to undergraduate students who in Massachusetts." Fill out the FAFSA early, since many state programs award money until it runs out.
Tuition Exchanges
Massachusetts belongs to the New England Board of Higher Education Tuition Break. In the program's own words, "66 public colleges and universities in New England participate."
How to Choose a Game Design Program in Massachusetts
The honest trade-off is price. Fitchburg State University costs $15,820 net, while Worcester Polytechnic Institute costs $47,799, Northeastern University $34,770 and Hampshire College $27,556. Those are school-wide figures, so ask each school what a game student pays after aid.
Because every ranked program is game design, the real choice is emphasis. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, plus Northeastern University, sit inside technical schools, which suits a student who wants to program. Hampshire College lets you design your own path. Fitchburg State University graduates 34 a year, many more than the others, so it has the deepest cohort for finding teammates.
Weigh the completion rates too. Fitchburg State University is at 58%, Worcester Polytechnic Institute at 88% and Northeastern University at 91%. A lower rate at the cheap public school is a reason to ask about advising and support, not a reason to skip it. New York has 8 game bachelor's programs next door if you want more choice.
Neighboring States
Neighboring stateNew York8 ranked game bachelor's · 29 programs in allView the New York guide ›
Neighboring stateConnecticut2 ranked game bachelor's · 3 programs in allView the Connecticut guide ›
Neighboring stateNew Hampshire2 ranked game bachelor's · 2 programs in allView the New Hampshire guide ›
Neighboring stateRhode Island1 ranked game bachelor's · 3 programs in allView the Rhode Island guide ›
Neighboring stateVermont1 ranked game bachelor's · 3 programs in allView the Vermont guide ›
City guides
Cities in Massachusetts
3 cities in Massachusetts have their own guides, ranking every program inside the metro and within 50 miles of the city center, with distances, metro pay and nearby public college costs.
Worcester, MA14 programs within 50 miles · 5 ranked game bachelor'sView the Worcester guide ›
Boston, MA11 programs within 50 miles · 3 ranked game bachelor'sView the Boston guide ›
Pittsfield, MA6 programs within 50 miles · 2 ranked game bachelor'sView the Pittsfield guide ›
Fitchburg State University is the top-ranked game design school in Massachusetts, 9 of 89 in our national ranking, followed by Hampshire College at 57. It finishes 58% of its students and has an average net price of $15,820 for aided first-year students, both school-wide IPEDS figures, and the program graduates about 34 students a year. It is also the lowest-priced of the 4 ranked here. Out-of-state students pay $6,080 more a year in published tuition there. See all 4 ranked Massachusetts programs in the state ranking.
How Well Do Game Jobs Pay in Massachusetts?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $165,210 in Massachusetts, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). Web and digital interface designers, where BLS counts game designers, earn $113,540 in Massachusetts, 9% more than the $104,000 national median. Prices in Massachusetts run 5.8% above the U.S. average on BEA's index, which takes a bite out of both pay and a student budget. About 48,190 people work as software developers in Massachusetts. See what game jobs pay in Massachusetts.
Where Is the Lowest Price for Game Design in Massachusetts?
The lowest-priced ranked option in Massachusetts is Fitchburg State University, at an average net price of $15,820 a year for aided first-year students. The catch is completion: 58% of its students finish, under the 59% median, and a program you don't finish costs more than its sticker. Public in-state tuition in Massachusetts averages $5,575, if a related program at home fits. See paying for school in Massachusetts.
Is Boston the Best Place to Work in Games in Massachusetts?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH pays software developers the most of Massachusetts's metros, a median of $166,090 (BLS May 2025), against $127,740 in Springfield, MA. Software developers is the occupation BLS counts game programmers in. The statewide median is $165,210. Higher metro pay usually comes with higher living costs, so compare both before you move for a job. See what game jobs pay in Massachusetts.
Can I Get a Tuition Break at a Massachusetts Public School?
Yes, through the New England Board of Higher Education Tuition Break: Massachusetts is a member, and in the exchange's own words, "66 public colleges and universities in New England participate." 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 Massachusetts's own public colleges averages $17,349 against $5,575 in state. See paying for school in Massachusetts.
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.
