Mississippi has no bachelor's game design programs on its campuses. The nearest game design schools near Mississippi are Loyola University New Orleans, 165 miles from Jackson, and Southern Arkansas University Main Campus, 188 miles away. Arkansas Tech University is farther at 266 miles but costs the least. Below you'll find how pay and costs compare and how to choose.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
0Game Design Bachelor's in Mississippigame design, game programming or simulationIPEDS
5Ranked Programs in Nearby StatesAR, TN, AL and LAOur ranking
165 miTo the Closest Program From Jacksonstraight-line distanceOur analysis
Game Design Schools Near Mississippi in 60 Seconds
Top nearby pick: Arkansas Tech University.Mississippi has no bachelor's game design program, so these are across the border. It scores 75.4. Arkansas Tech University is in Arkansas, with a $11,443 net price and 52% completion. Southern Arkansas University Main Campus in Arkansas scores 69.6.Nearby Schools ›
Closest fit at home: Mississippi State University.It graduates bachelor's students in computer and information sciences. It awarded 103 bachelor's degrees in 2023-24, as a related program outside the game design ranking. University of Southern Mississippi is another option at home.Related Programs ›
Software developers earn $95,330 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 1,880 people work as software developers in Mississippi. In Mississippi, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $48,550, which is 53% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in Mississippi: BEA puts prices 13.0% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further.Pay ›
Public in-state tuition averages $8,642.The MTAG is Mississippi's main state grant. Public colleges cost more here than in most states, with aided in-state students paying $14,613 on average across 9, against $13,240 in the median state. Out of state, tuition averages $13,183.Costs ›
Heads up Mississippi belongs to the Academic Common Market (ACM), which can cut nonresident tuition at public schools in member states.
No program in Mississippi
Game Design Schools Near Mississippi for 2027
Five ranked programs sit in the four states around Mississippi, so you'll be crossing a state line whichever you pick. Loyola University New Orleans is the closest to Jackson at 165 miles, but it is private, costs $26,150 net and graduates 1 student a year. Samford University, in Birmingham, is 214 miles away and costs $32,176.
The public options are in Arkansas, and Southern Arkansas University Main Campus, in Magnolia, is 188 miles from Jackson, scores 69.6 and costs $14,164 net. Arkansas Tech University, in Russellville, scores 75.4, costs $11,443 net, which is the cheapest of the five, and sits 266 miles out. Freed-Hardeman University, in Tennessee, is 234 miles away at $18,267. Mississippi has two associate programs of its own and no bachelor's.
Ranked by this site's score. Miles are straight-line distance from Jackson (Census Vintage 2024 largest city) to each campus (IPEDS coordinates). Completion and net price are school-wide IPEDS figures.
Russellville, AR · Public · Game design program · 266 miles
75.4
#17 of 89 nationally
266 miles from Jackson
Lowest net price on this list
Largest program on this list
Net price earns full cost points
Public
Jackson is 266 miles from Russellville, a day's drive for a Mississippi student considering Arkansas Tech University. This is the program with the lowest net price on this list, at $11,443 for aided first-years across the university, and it is also the largest program here, with about 17 graduates a year.
Nonresident tuition is $11,989 against $5,995 in state, so a Mississippi student pays the higher rate but still lands below many peers. The BFA runs through the art department and includes 3D modeling, 3D animation, animation techniques and game design theory. The SAT midpoint is 990 school-wide, the admit rate is 96%, and 52% of entering students finish within eight years. Students begin with drawing, composition and programming foundations before specializing in game development courses.
Magnolia, AR · Public · Game design program · 188 miles
69.6
#24 of 89 nationally
188 miles from Jackson
Net price earns full cost points
Public
Magnolia is 188 miles from Jackson, which puts Southern Arkansas University within a few hours' drive of a Mississippi student. Nonresidents pay $461 an hour in tuition, compared with $260 for Arkansans, and published out-of-state tuition comes to $13,110 a year.
The BFA in Game, Animation, and Simulation Design runs 121 credit hours on campus, with 87 of them in game and animation design. Students use open-source and other software to solve design problems, and the program points toward entertainment, industrial, commercial and educational work. Net price for aided first-years is $14,164 across the university, the SAT midpoint is 991, and about 11 students graduate each year. Per-hour fees add $88 on top of tuition, so students should price a full year before committing.
Henderson, TN · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 234 miles
67.4
#30 of 89 nationally
234 miles from Jackson
Private
Henderson is 234 miles from Jackson, which makes Freed-Hardeman one of the nearer options in Tennessee for Mississippi students. The Interactive Digital Design major in its developer emphasis combines creative design and technical development, teaching web development and mobile app work, and finishing with a capstone.
The program belongs to the Department of Mathematics, Engineering and Computer Science. Tuition at this private university is $25,620 for every student, so a Mississippi student pays no more than a Tennessean. The school-wide net price for aided first-years is $18,267, while the cost of attendance is $39,410 before aid. About 2,306 students attend, 60% of applicants are admitted, and 59% of entering students complete within eight years. Small class sizes and experienced faculty are listed highlights.
Birmingham, AL · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 214 miles
52.8
#60 of 89 nationally
214 miles from Jackson
Highest completion on this list
Private
Jackson is 214 miles from Birmingham, where Samford University sits, a drive of about three hours for a Mississippi student. The game design major suits someone who likes both art and programming, with hands-on work in 3D modeling, animation and game engines and project-based classes.
Students assemble a professional portfolio along the way, with playable games, animations, 3D assets, design documentation and gameplay videos. Mississippi students pay the same $39,000 tuition as Alabamians. Across the university, 77% of entering students complete within eight years, and ten-year earnings for graduates of all majors are $58,469. About 3 students a year graduate from the program.
School-wide net price for aided first-years is $32,176, and the cost of attendance before aid is $59,741. The university enrolls 6,097 students.
New Orleans, LA · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 165 miles
52.6
#61 of 89 nationally
165 miles from Jackson
Private
Mississippi students can reach Loyola University New Orleans, about 165 miles from Jackson, and find a computer science degree with a Game Programming concentration rather than an art-first program. Students in the concentration work with local, regional and international game companies, and the school describes electives such as Media Play and Doing Things with Videogames alongside graphics coursework that covers 3D transformations, rendering and shading.
Out-of-state tuition adds no premium, because Loyola is private and charges $47,390 to everyone. Net price across the university is $26,150 for aided first-years, and earnings ten years after enrollment average $52,927 across all majors. The university enrolls 4,250 students, admits 93% of applicants, and sees 63% complete a degree within eight years. About 1 student a year finishes the Game Programming track.
These are not game design degrees. Mississippi 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 Mississippi
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 18 in Mississippi, computer science and software first, then digital media and animation, then graphic design, with graduates in 2023-24.
Pay in Mississippi is well below the national median, but living costs are lower to match. Software developers, who include game programmers in BLS data, have a state median of $95,330, a gap of $40,650 under the national median, with 1,880 employed. Game and UI design jobs are counted among web and digital interface designers, whose median is $48,550, which is $55,450 below.
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$45,640
$37,380–$57,720$37k–$58k$37,380 to $57,720
830
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$85,120
$61,260–$85,120$61k–$85k$61,260 to $85,120
1,170
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$66,020
$53,790–$87,920$54k–$88k$53,790 to $87,920
90
$114,850
BLS doesn't publish special effects artists and animators pay for Mississippi. 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.
Pay in Mississippi's Largest Metro Areas
Metro area
Software developers
Web and digital interface designers
Price level
Jackson
$96,990
$62,820
89
Gulfport-Biloxi
$104,240
$69,780
90
Hattiesburg
$58,390May 2024
Not published
87.6
Median annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025, for the state's largest metropolitan areas by total employment, all in Mississippi. 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.
BLS publishes no figure for special effects artists and animators in Mississippi, so there is nothing to compare for animation. Graphic designers earn $45,640 with 830 employed, which is $17,320 below the national median. Computer programmers make $85,120, $15,270 below, and art directors earn $66,020 with only 90 employed. A typical first job is QA tester, junior designer, art and UI contributor, or junior programmer.
Within the state, Gulfport-Biloxi pays software developers $104,240 and interface designers $69,780, both higher than Jackson, where software developers earn $96,990. Hattiesburg has no published software developer figure, and its graphic designers earn $38,580. The honest read is that a game career often means working remotely or relocating after graduation.
Cost of living is the offset. Prices sit about 13.0% below the national average, a state price level of 87. Hattiesburg is at 87.6, Jackson at 89 and Gulfport-Biloxi at 90, so a lower salary still buys a lot here.
About 1,880 people work as software developers in Mississippi. In Mississippi, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $48,550, which is 53% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in Mississippi: BEA puts prices 13.0% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further.
The game design salary pages explain what each occupation covers and how game studios fit inside it.
Cost in Mississippi
Paying for School in Mississippi
Mississippi has 9 public four-year colleges, which average $8,642 for in-state students and $13,183 for out-of-state students, a premium of $4,541. Aided in-state students at those colleges average $14,613 net. No Mississippi school appears in game tuition averages, because none offers a ranked game bachelor's.
Public colleges in MS
Figure
Public four-year colleges
9
Average in-state tuition
$8,642
Average out-of-state tuition
$13,183
Average net price, aided in-state students
$14,613
Means across Mississippi's public four-year degree-granting colleges that offer undergraduate study: tuition from IPEDS for 2023-24 (8 colleges reporting), net price for 2022-23 (8 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 $14,613 on average across 9, against $13,240 in the median state.
MTAG, run by the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid, is a merit grant. Mississippi is also in the Academic Common Market, and Arkansas is the member with public game programs nearby. That makes the two Arkansas public schools the first ones to ask about, starting with Arkansas Tech University, then Southern Arkansas University Main Campus, if your program qualifies.
Mississippi has no ranked game program, but it does have two associate programs at two colleges. If your goal is a bachelor's degree, treat them as a first step rather than the destination. Budget for at least two trips home a year, since the nearest campus is 165 miles from Jackson.
State Aid in Mississippi
Mississippi's main merit program for undergraduates is the MTAG, run by the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid. In its own words: "MTAG awards up to $500 per academic year" Fill out the FAFSA early, since many state programs award money until it runs out.
Tuition Exchanges
Mississippi 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."
How to Choose a Game Design Program If You Live in Mississippi
Weigh distance against price. Loyola University New Orleans is the shortest drive from Jackson but costs $26,150 net, well above Arkansas Tech University's $11,443. For a student paying their own way, the Arkansas public schools are the practical choices.
Arkansas Tech University scores 75.4 against Southern Arkansas University Main Campus at 69.6, but its 52% completion rate is higher than the 43% at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus, and both are game design programs and both are public, so the choice comes down to the drive and the campus visit.
If you can't move, start close to home. Mississippi's two associate programs are a way to learn the basics while staying near family, and credits may transfer later. Ask about transfer agreements before you enroll, and get any credit-transfer promise in writing. The Academic Common Market is the first thing to check if you do move to Arkansas.
Neighboring States
Neighboring stateArkansas2 ranked game bachelor's · 2 programs in allView the Arkansas guide ›
Neighboring stateAlabama1 ranked game bachelor's · 2 programs in allView the Alabama guide ›
Neighboring stateLouisiana1 ranked game bachelor's · 3 programs in allView the Louisiana guide ›
Neighboring stateTennessee1 ranked game bachelor's · 3 programs in allView the Tennessee guide ›
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Get a Game Design Bachelor's in Mississippi?
Mississippi has no bachelor's game design program in the federal data, so the closest ranked options are in neighboring states. Arkansas Tech University in Arkansas scores highest at 75.4, 266 miles from Jackson, with 52% completion and a $11,443 net price. Southern Arkansas University Main Campus in Arkansas is next at 69.6. Mississippi 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 the nearby programs, ranked.
What Do Game Jobs Pay in Mississippi?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $95,330 in Mississippi, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). In Mississippi, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $48,550, which is 53% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in Mississippi: BEA puts prices 13.0% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further. About 1,880 people work as software developers in Mississippi. See what game jobs pay in Mississippi.
Where Can I Study Game Design Most Cheaply Near Mississippi?
The lowest-priced ranked option for Mississippi students is Arkansas Tech University in Arkansas, at an average net price of $11,443 a year for aided first-year students. The catch is completion: 52% 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 Mississippi averages $8,642, if a related program at home fits. See paying for school in Mississippi.
Can I Get In-State Tuition in Arkansas as a Mississippi Student?
Yes, through the Academic Common Market (ACM): Mississippi 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 Mississippi's own public colleges averages $13,183 against $8,642 in state. See paying for school in Mississippi.
Is Mississippi Cheap to Live In?
Mississippi is cheaper than average to live in: overall prices run at 87 on BEA's Regional Price Parities, where the U.S. average is 100, and housing at 56.5. Housing pulls the cost down most, at 56.5 on BEA's housing index against 100 nationally. Public colleges cost more here than in most states, with aided in-state students paying $14,613 on average across 9, against $13,240 in the median state. See what game jobs pay in Mississippi.
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.
