Minnesota has no bachelor's game design programs inside its borders. The closest game design schools near Minnesota are University of Wisconsin-Stout, a public school 66 miles from Minneapolis, and Grand View University, in Des Moines, 232 miles away. Both rank on this site, and online programs and Minnesota's tuition exchange widen your choices. Below you'll find pay, costs and a plan for choosing.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
0Game Design Bachelor's in Minnesotagame design, game programming or simulationIPEDS
2Ranked Programs in Nearby StatesWI and IAOur ranking
66 miTo the Closest Program From Minneapolisstraight-line distanceOur analysis
Top nearby pick: University of Wisconsin-Stout.Minnesota has no bachelor's game design program, so these are across the border. It scores 82.0. University of Wisconsin-Stout is in Wisconsin, with a $15,574 net price and 59% completion. Grand View University in Iowa scores 60.5.Nearby Schools ›
Closest fit at home: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.It graduates bachelor's students in computer science. It awarded 593 bachelor's degrees in 2023-24, as a related program outside the game design ranking. Metropolitan State University is another option at home.Related Programs ›
Software developers earn $130,050 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 35,890 people work as software developers in Minnesota. In Minnesota, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $82,650, which is 21% under the national median of $104,000. BEA's index puts prices in Minnesota near the U.S. average, at 98.6.Pay ›
Public in-state tuition averages $10,088.The Minnesota State Grant is Minnesota's main state grant. Public colleges cost more here than in most states, with aided in-state students paying $15,549 on average across 14, against $13,240 in the median state. Out of state, tuition averages $13,443.Costs ›
City guides: Minneapolis.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 ›
Heads up Minnesota belongs to the Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP), which can cut nonresident tuition at public schools in member states.
No program in Minnesota
Game Design Schools Near Minnesota for 2027
University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie is the answer for most Minnesota students. It is public, a simulation program, scores 82.0 and turns out 67 graduates a year at a net price of $15,574. It sits 66 miles from Minneapolis, the closest campus to the state's largest city, and it is also the cheapest and the only public option in the two bordering states.
Grand View University, in Des Moines, Iowa, is the other bordering option. It is a private school, a game design program, scoring 60.4 with 4 graduates a year and a net price of $22,296, at 232 miles from Minneapolis. Minnesota belongs to the Midwest Student Exchange Program, and Wisconsin is the member with a public game program nearby.
Ranked by this site's score. Miles are straight-line distance from Minneapolis (Census Vintage 2024 largest city) to each campus (IPEDS coordinates). Completion and net price are school-wide IPEDS figures.
Menomonie, WI · Public · Simulation program · 66 miles
82.0
#7 of 89 nationally
66 miles from Minneapolis
Technical track: simulation
Public
Menomonie is 66 miles from Minneapolis, close enough that Minnesota students can reach campus in a short drive while studying in a town of their own. The B.F.A. in Game Design and Development here focuses on game art, with concept art, character and environment modeling, animation, lighting and interface design.
Minnesota residents are charged the non-resident tuition of $16,279 a year, which is $8,564 more than Wisconsin residents pay at $7,715. After aid, first-years pay a net price of $15,574 school-wide, and the cost of attendance is $23,693 before aid. Paid and unpaid internships through the cooperative education program connect students with studios and design firms, and more than a third of Stout students accept offers from their internship employer. School-wide, 59% complete within eight years, and the university admits 88% of applicants.
Des Moines, IA · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 232 miles
60.5
#41 of 89 nationally
232 miles from Minneapolis
Private
Minneapolis is 232 miles from Grand View University, a drive of several hours down to Des Moines for a Minnesota student considering its game design major. Because Grand View is private, tuition of $34,112 is the same for someone from Minnesota as for an Iowan, with no out-of-state surcharge added.
The campus is in a city and enrolls 1,856 students, a far smaller community than a large state flagship. Aided first-years pay a net price of $22,296 school-wide. Ten years after entry, graduates of all majors earn $52,824, and about 4 students a year finish the game design program.
Cost of attendance before aid is $54,440, and the admit rate is 99% across the university. School-wide, 59% of entering students complete within eight years.
These are not game design degrees. Minnesota has no bachelor's in game design, game programming or simulation, but these programs in the state teach skills game studios hire for: programming in computer science and software, art and animation in the art programs. They're a way to stay in state and build toward game work.
Similar Bachelor's Programs in Minnesota
Bachelor's first majors reported to IPEDS (C2024_A) in computer science, software, animation, digital media and graphic design fields: the 5 most relevant to game work of 58 in Minnesota, computer science and software first, then digital media and animation, then graphic design, with graduates in 2023-24.
Minnesota pays close to the national median for programmers and less for designers. Software developers, the category that holds game programmers, sit at a state median of $130,050, just $5,930 shy of the national median. Computer programmers do better at $107,250, which is $6,860 above. The designer side is lower, since web and digital interface designers, the category covering game and UI design, earn $82,650, or $21,350 below.
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$63,860
$51,570–$78,380$52k–$78k$51,570 to $78,380
5,570
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$107,250
$79,230–$125,300$79k–$125k$79,230 to $125,300
2,070
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$109,700
$89,380–$134,990$89k–$135k$89,380 to $134,990
920
$114,850
Annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025. The middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
Pay in Minnesota's Largest Metro Areas
Metro area
Software developers
Web and digital interface designers
Special effects artists and animators
Price level
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
$130,920
$81,730
$61,790May 2024
104.8
Duluth, MN-WI
$103,500
$67,540
Not published
88.8
Rochester, MN
$134,450
Not published
Not published
90.8
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. 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.
Art roles are thin. Special effects artists and animators earn $64,990 with only 30 employed, which is $37,040 below the national median, so expect few animation jobs at home. Graphic designers earn $63,860, $900 above the national median, with 5,570 employed. Art directors earn $109,700 with 920 employed. Expect a first job in QA, as a junior designer, in art and UI, or as a junior programmer.
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington is the best-paying metro, with software developers at $130,920 and computer programmers at $118,000. Rochester pays software developers $134,450, the highest in the state, but BLS publishes no interface designer or animator figure there. Duluth-based software developers earn $103,500.
Living costs run close to average. Minnesota's price level of 98.6 puts prices about 1.4% below the national average. Minneapolis-St. Paul is at 104.8, while Duluth is at 88.8 and Rochester at 90.8.
About 35,890 people work as software developers in Minnesota. In Minnesota, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $82,650, which is 21% under the national median of $104,000. BEA's index puts prices in Minnesota near the U.S. average, at 98.6.
The game design salary pages explain what each occupation covers and how game studios fit inside it.
Cost in Minnesota
Paying for School in Minnesota
Minnesota's public four-year colleges cost less than you might fear. The state has 14 of them, averaging $10,088 for residents and $13,443 for nonresidents, a premium of $3,355. Net price for aided in-state students averages $15,549.
Public colleges in MN
Figure
Public four-year colleges
14
Average in-state tuition
$10,088
Average out-of-state tuition
$13,443
Average net price, aided in-state students
$15,549
Means across Minnesota's public four-year degree-granting colleges that offer undergraduate study: tuition from IPEDS for 2023-24 (13 colleges reporting), net price for 2022-23 (13 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 $15,549 on average across 14, against $13,240 in the median state.
The Midwest Student Exchange Program is the main way to cut costs on a game degree in Wisconsin. Because Wisconsin is the member with a public game program nearby, University of Wisconsin-Stout is the place to ask about it. Confirm the program is covered, because exchange rules are set program by program, and get the answer in writing before you rely on a discounted rate. Also ask about application deadlines, since exchange seats can be limited.
Cost is not only tuition. Net price at the animation schools in Minnesota runs from $18,231 at Minnesota State University Moorhead to $27,031 at Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and the median across game and animation bachelor's schools in the state is $26,779. Set that against the $15,574 at University of Wisconsin-Stout, which sits one state over.
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." Fill out the FAFSA early, since many state programs award money until it runs out.
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"
How to Choose a Game Design Program If You Live in Minnesota
Start with distance. University of Wisconsin-Stout is 66 miles from Minneapolis, close enough for a long weekend home, while Grand View University is 232 miles. Stout also costs $15,574 against Grand View's $22,296, so it wins on both counts.
If you want to stay in Minnesota, look at the animation bachelor's programs: Minnesota State University Moorhead at $18,231, Minneapolis College of Art and Design at $27,031, or University of Northwestern-St Paul at $26,779. These are animation degrees, not game design degrees, so check the curriculum for game courses before you count on them.
A practical plan is to build skills at home and choose the campus later. Minnesota's software developer pay is near the national median, so a programming-leaning degree travels well. Visit the campus if you can, and talk to current students about internships and where graduates land. Whichever you choose, compare Stout's net price to an online option before committing to a move.
Neighboring States
Neighboring stateIowa1 ranked game bachelor's · 4 programs in allView the Iowa guide ›
Neighboring stateWisconsin1 ranked game bachelor's · 7 programs in allView the Wisconsin guide ›
Neighboring stateNorth DakotaNo programs; the guide lists the nearestView the North Dakota guide ›
Neighboring stateSouth Dakota1 related programs, no game bachelor'sView the South Dakota guide ›
City guides
Cities in Minnesota
One city in Minnesota has its own guide, 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.
Minneapolis, MN5 programs within 100 miles · 1 ranked game bachelor'sView the Minneapolis guide ›
Minnesota has no bachelor's game design program in the federal data, so the closest ranked options are in neighboring states. University of Wisconsin-Stout in Wisconsin scores highest at 82.0, 66 miles from Minneapolis, with 59% completion and a $15,574 net price. Grand View University in Iowa is next at 60.5. Minnesota belongs to the Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP), which can cut nonresident tuition at public colleges in member states, though each college picks which programs take part. See the nearby programs, ranked.
What Can a Game Developer Earn in Minnesota?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $130,050 in Minnesota, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). In Minnesota, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $82,650, which is 21% under the national median of $104,000. BEA's index puts prices in Minnesota near the U.S. average, at 98.6. About 35,890 people work as software developers in Minnesota. See what game jobs pay in Minnesota.
Which School Near Minnesota Costs the Least for Game Design?
The lowest-priced ranked option for Minnesota students is University of Wisconsin-Stout in Wisconsin, at an average net price of $15,574 a year for aided first-year students. It doesn't trade completion for price: 59% of its students finish, above the 59% median among ranked programs. Public in-state tuition in Minnesota averages $10,088, if a related program at home fits. See paying for school in Minnesota.
Can I Get a Tuition Break in Wisconsin as a Minnesota Student?
Yes, through the Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP): Minnesota is a member, and in the exchange'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" 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 Minnesota's own public colleges averages $13,443 against $10,088 in state. See paying for school in Minnesota.
Does Minnesota Have Animation Degrees?
Special effects artists and animators earn a median of $64,990 in Minnesota (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 Minnesota across every degree level. Minnesota has 3 ranked animation bachelor's programs, led by Minnesota State University Moorhead. See what game jobs pay in Minnesota.
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.
