The best game design schools near Minneapolis aren't where you'd expect. Inside the metro, the two ranked programs are animation programs, Minneapolis College of Art and Design at 33 of 82 and the University of Northwestern-St Paul at 44 of 82. The one ranked game design program in range is the University of Wisconsin-Stout, 66 miles out in another state, at 7 of 89.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
3Game Programs Within 25 Milesgame design, programming, simulation and animation, all levelsIPEDS locations
3Game Programs Within 50 Milesabout an hour outIPEDS locations
5Game Programs Within 100 Milesat 4 colleges; 1 ranked game bachelor'sIPEDS locations
Game Design Schools Near Minneapolis in 60 Seconds
Minneapolis College of Art and Design leads the metro at 65.8.2 ranked programs sit inside the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington metro. Completion is a strength at 67%, above the 59% median, but its $27,031 net price is $881 more than the median ranked program's.The Ranking ›
Software developers earn $130,920 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 27,410 people work as software developers in the metro, a heavier concentration than the country as a whole (location quotient 1.29). In Minneapolis, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $81,730, which is 21% under the national median of $104,000.Pay ›
231 software and game publishers in the metro.Concentration 1.01, where 1.00 matches the U.S. Those publishers employ 13,745 people. The metro also has 1,203 custom programming studios and 176 film, video and animation production companies.Employers ›
In-state tuition starts at $5,475.2 public colleges nearby offer a game-related program. The highest in-state tuition nearby is $7,715, so where you enroll changes the bill a lot.Costs ›
A one-bedroom rents for $1,244 a month.The U.S. median one-bedroom is $1,301. Median rent in the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington metro is $1,444 a month, close to the U.S. median of $1,487. The lowest on-campus room and board nearby is $8,718 a year at University of Wisconsin-Stout.Living Costs ›
Ranked in Minneapolis
The Best Game Design Schools in Minneapolis, MN for 2027
Minneapolis College of Art and Design sits one mile from the city center and graduates 24 students a year from its animation program. It scores 65.7, and it's a private nonprofit with published tuition of $44,784. The University of Northwestern-St Paul, seven miles out in Saint Paul, scores 60.2, graduates eight a year, and lists tuition of $36,980.
Both rankings are for animation, so they tell you about art and motion work rather than game design. The completion rates, 67% at the art college and 65% at Northwestern, and the net prices of $27,031 and $26,779, are school-wide figures. They describe each college as a whole, not its animation students.
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 Minneapolis.
Minneapolis, MN · Private nonprofit · Animation program · 1 miles
65.8
#33 of 82 in animation
1 miles from Minneapolis
Animation
Private
MCAD is an urban art college only 1 mile from Minneapolis, which makes commuting or walking to class realistic. The B.F.A. in Animation draws students from around the world and covers classical technique in pre-production design along with hands-on work that mimics how a commercial studio runs. Students explore illustrated, stop-motion and computer-generated animation, and required classes include Experimental Animation, Stop-Motion Animation, Introduction to Filmmaking and Professional Practice. Animation majors work in teams with students from every other MCAD major.
Tuition is $44,784 for all students, but aided first-years pay a net price of $27,031. About 24 students graduate from the program each year, at a college with 831 students overall. School-wide, 48% of applicants are admitted and 67% finish within eight years, while earnings ten years out are $40,873 across all majors. The career paths on the program page include background animator, character developer, 3D modeler and pixel artist.
Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit · Animation program · 7 miles
60.2
#44 of 82 in animation
7 miles from Minneapolis
Animation
Private
University of Northwestern is a suburban campus in Saint Paul, 7 miles from Minneapolis. Its Animation and Illustration degree comes as a B.A. or a B.S., requires 125 credits and is taught on campus, with a minor available. Students work in the university's design lab with Unreal Engine, Maya, Mudbox, MotionBuilder, After Effects, Illustrator and Photoshop, and they learn from professionals with Pixar and other film studio backgrounds. Classmates tour local art and design centers and use networking in Minnesota's art and business community.
The program page cites a median pay of $102,030 for multimedia artists and animators in 2025, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Tuition is $36,980 for every student, and aided first-years pay a net price of $26,779. About 8 students finish the major each year. Across the university, 3,234 students enroll, 93% of applicants are admitted and 65% complete within eight years, with school-wide earnings of $50,755 ten years out.
The rest of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro and the nearby areas are covered on the Minnesota and Wisconsin pages.
StateMinnesota4 related programs, no game bachelor'sView the Minnesota guide ›
Also in the metroWisconsin1 ranked game bachelor's · 7 programs in allView the Wisconsin guide ›
More ways in
Other Game Programs in Minneapolis
One more program inside the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington 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 group that includes game programmers and engine developers, earn a median of $130,920 in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro. That's $5,060 below the national median but $870 above the Minnesota median, and 27,410 people hold those jobs here. The middle half earns between $103,040 and $161,610.
$61,790–$66,680$62k–$67k$61,790 to $66,680, May 2024May 2024
40May 2024
$64,990May 2025
$102,030
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$65,610
$57,270–$81,800$57k–$82k$57,270 to $81,800
3,690
$63,860
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$118,000
$92,750–$125,300$93k–$125k$92,750 to $125,300
1,570
$107,250
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$119,020
$95,900–$135,630$96k–$136k$95,900 to $135,630
780
$109,700
$114,850
Annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025, for the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 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 Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington metro in the current release.
The design side pays less. Game designers and UI designers are counted among web and digital interface designers, whose metro median is $81,730 with 970 employed, which is $22,270 below the national median. BLS publishes no metro median for animators and special effects artists, but the Minnesota median is $64,990 against $102,030 nationally. Graphic designers fare better at $65,610, $2,650 above the national median, with 3,690 working here.
Programmers and art directors both beat the national numbers. Computer programmers earn $118,000, $17,610 above the national median, and art directors earn $119,020. Prices run above the national average of 100, with a metro price level of 104.8 and a housing level of 111.8.
About 27,410 people work as software developers in the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington metro, a heavier concentration than the country as a whole (location quotient 1.29). In Minneapolis, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $81,730, which is 21% under the national median of $104,000. Prices in the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington metro run 4.8% above the U.S. average on BEA's index, which takes a bite out of both pay and a student budget.
Census files most game studios under software publishers, not as their own industry. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro that category counts 231 businesses and 13,745 employees, which is 1.0 times the national concentration. That makes it average rather than a standout, but with a large base of companies.
Industry
What it covers
Businesses
Employees
Concentration
Software and game publishers
Software publishers (game publishers and studios are filed here)
231
13,745
1.01
Custom programming studios
Custom computer programming services (contract and co-development studios)
1,203
13,324
0.98
Film, video and animation production
Motion picture and video production (animation and VFX studios)
176
469
0.22
Graphic design firms
Graphic design services
296
870
1.31
Establishments and March payroll employees in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 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.
Custom programming studios add 1,203 businesses, and their 13,324 employees sit at 98% of the national concentration. Graphic design firms reach 1.3 times the national concentration, with 870 employees. Animation and video production is thin, 469 employees at 22% of the national concentration, so animation graduates should expect to look at design and software employers instead of studios.
By occupation, graphic designers are the most concentrated at a location quotient of 1.49, followed by computer programmers at 1.36, software developers at 1.29 and art directors at 1.18, all more common than nationally. Web and digital interface designers are less common at 0.68. Programming and graphic design are where the local demand is.
How Common Game-Adjacent Jobs Are in Minneapolis
Occupation
Jobs per 1,000
Location quotient
Software developers
14.04
1.29
Web and digital interface designers
0.50
0.68
Graphic designers
1.89
1.49
Computer programmers
0.81
1.36
Art directors
0.40
1.18
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 Minneapolis Produces
Out to 100 miles, the colleges send out 140 game-related graduates a year, and 132 of those are bachelor's degrees. Inside the metro the figure is 37. Minneapolis College of Art and Design produces 24, the University of Northwestern-St Paul eight and Century College five.
The 5 largest game-related programs within 100 miles of central Minneapolis by graduates a year, IPEDS completions averaged 2022 to 2024:
The metro has 28,380 core jobs, and these 37 graduates come to 0.1% of that. Core jobs cover software developers, web and digital interface designers and animators, and few of those are game jobs. Graduates also relocate, so the ratio says the local pipeline is tiny against the job market, not how many game openings exist. The University of Wisconsin-Stout adds 67 a year from its ranked program, from outside the metro.
Cost near Minneapolis
Paying for School in Minneapolis
Three public colleges fall in range. Century College, in Minnesota, charges $5,475 for residents and non-residents alike, so there's no out-of-state premium, and its net price is $10,552. The University of Wisconsin-Stout is across the state line, so Minnesota is not its home state: the bill is $7,715 if you live in Wisconsin and $16,279 if you don't, a premium of $8,564, with a $15,574 net price.
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).
Check the Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP) before you accept the higher Stout figure, since the program can reduce tuition for students from participating states. Confirm with the school whether your situation qualifies. The private options are a different cost tier, with published tuition of $44,784 at Minneapolis College of Art and Design and $36,980 at Northwestern.
State Aid in Minnesota
Minnesota's main need program for undergraduates is the Minnesota State Grant, run by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. In its own words: "The Minnesota State Grant Program is a state-funded need-based program and is available for students who have not yet attended eight full-time semesters of postsecondary education or the equivalent." The Minnesota page covers state aid and public college costs in more detail.
Tuition Exchanges
Minnesota 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 Minneapolis
The Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro spans Minnesota and Wisconsin, 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 Minnesota.
State
In-state tuition
Nonresident tuition
Gap
Minnesota
$10,088
$13,443
$3,355
Wisconsin
$7,030
$15,234
$8,204
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 Minneapolis as a Student
Rent in the metro is a little under the national figure. Median rent comes to $1,444 against $1,487 nationally, so the metro is $43 below the U.S. median. Over twelve months a one-bedroom adds up to $14,928, which is $1,244 a month, while sharing a two-bedroom brings it to $782 each. The overall price level is 104.8 and housing is 111.8, so everyday costs run above average even though rent doesn't.
Monthly rent
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington metro
U.S.
All rentals, median
$1,444
$1,487
One bedroom, median
$1,244
$1,301
Two bedrooms, median
$1,563
$1,490
Median gross rent (rent plus utilities the tenant pays), American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, tables B25064 and B25031.
Three colleges report on-campus room and board. The University of Wisconsin-Stout charges $8,718, Minneapolis College of Art and Design $10,910 and the University of Northwestern-St Paul $11,148, against an off-campus estimate of $8,220 there. Century College has no campus housing, so you'd rent nearby. The art college lists $3,640 for books and supplies, the highest in range.
Median rent in the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington metro is $1,444 a month, close to the U.S. median of $1,487.
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 Minneapolis
Your first decision is art versus technical work, and the data makes it fairly clear. The two metro programs are animation, so they suit you if you want to draw, model and animate. The Stout program is a simulation program, which leans technical. There's no ranked game design program inside the metro, so if design and systems are your goal, you're looking at Wisconsin.
Public versus private is also a distance question here. The private schools are inside the metro, at one and seven miles, and cost more in tuition. The public option that ranks highest is 66 miles out and has a lower net price of $15,574. Century College is a public alternative at 15 miles for an associate start.
Living at home works for the metro schools. Stout is a straight-line 66 miles away, which means moving to Menomonie. It does have campus housing, with on-campus room and board of $8,718, so you wouldn't have to find an apartment.
Admission is rarely the hard part here: 1 of the 3 colleges on this page admits anyone with a high school diploma, and among the rest fall 2024 admission ran from 48% at Minneapolis College of Art and Design to 93% at University of Northwestern-St Paul. None requires SAT or ACT scores.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the Best Game Design Schools Near Minneapolis Teach Game Design or Animation?
Minneapolis College of Art and Design has the top-ranked program near Minneapolis, an animation bachelor's scoring 65.8. Completion is a strength at 67%, above the 59% median, but its $27,031 net price is $881 more than the median ranked program's. With about 24 graduates a year, it is one of the larger programs in the ranking, so expect big cohorts and several sections of core courses. University of Northwestern-St Paul is next at 60.2, one of 2 ranked programs in the metro. The cheapest ranked option in the metro is University of Northwestern-St Paul at $26,779, with 65% completion. See the ranked programs.
What Do Game Programmers Earn in Minneapolis?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $130,920 in the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington metro, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). In the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington metro, web and digital interface designers, where game designers are counted, earn $81,730, which is 21% under the national median of $104,000. Prices in the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington metro run 4.8% above the U.S. average on BEA's index, which takes a bite out of both pay and a student budget. See what game jobs pay in Minneapolis.
Is Tuition Cheaper at Century College or the University of Wisconsin-Stout?
Century College is 15 miles from central Minneapolis. Published tuition is $5,475 for every student, in state or not. It offers an animation program at the associate level that our ranking doesn't score. The program graduates about 5 students a year. It admits any high school graduate, so the program is open to you without an application contest. See the ranked programs.
Can I Commute to a Ranked Game Program From Minneapolis?
2 ranked programs sit inside the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington metro, and 1 associate, graduate or certificate program adds other ways in. Minneapolis College of Art and Design scores highest, at 65.8. The top program is 1 miles from central Minneapolis, close enough to commute if housing nearby is out of reach. 3 game-related programs sit within 25 miles of central Minneapolis and 3 within 50, counting every level. The rest of the metro and the nearby areas are on the Minnesota and Wisconsin pages. See the ranked programs.
How Much Does Rent Cost for a Student in Minneapolis?
Median rent in the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington metro was $1,444 a month in 2024, $43 below the U.S. median of $1,487 (Census ACS). A one-bedroom runs $1,244. On-campus room and board at nearby colleges starts at $8,718 a year at University of Wisconsin-Stout, which bundles meals and avoids a lease. Housing is the expensive part: BEA puts it at 111.8 against a U.S. average of 100. See living in Minneapolis as a student.
How Hard Is It to Get Into Minneapolis College of Art and Design?
Minneapolis College of Art and Design has an average net price of $27,031 a year for aided first-year students (IPEDS), the price after grants rather than the published one. Published tuition is $44,784 for every student, in state or not. It is 1 miles from central Minneapolis, with a school-wide completion rate of 67%. With about 24 graduates a year, it is one of the larger programs in the ranking, so expect big cohorts and several sections of core courses. 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.
