Nebraska has no bachelor's game design programs of its own. The closest game design schools near Nebraska are Grand View University, in Des Moines, 129 miles from Omaha, and Bethany College, in Lindsborg, Kansas, 204 miles away. Eight ranked programs sit in the bordering states, so you have real choices if you're willing to cross a state line. Below you'll find pay, costs and how to choose.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
0Game Design Bachelor's in Nebraskagame design, game programming or simulationIPEDS
8Ranked Programs in Nearby StatesMO, CO, IA and KSOur ranking
129 miTo the Closest Program From Omahastraight-line distanceOur analysis
Top nearby pick: Lindenwood University.Nebraska has no bachelor's game design program, so these are across the border. It scores 70.5. Lindenwood University is in Missouri, with a $18,698 net price and 58% completion. University of Colorado Colorado Springs in Colorado scores 67.6.Nearby Schools ›
Closest fit at home: University of Nebraska-Lincoln.It graduates bachelor's students in computer science. It awarded 115 bachelor's degrees in 2023-24, as a related program outside the game design ranking. University of Nebraska at Omaha is another option at home.Related Programs ›
Software developers earn $110,900 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 7,260 people work as software developers in Nebraska. In Nebraska, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $65,520, which is 37% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in Nebraska: BEA puts prices 9.9% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further.Pay ›
Public in-state tuition averages $6,668.The Nebraska Opportunity Grant is Nebraska's main state grant. Public colleges cost more here than in most states, with aided in-state students paying $15,913 on average across 9, against $13,240 in the median state. Out of state, tuition averages $13,974.Costs ›
Heads up Nebraska belongs to the Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP), which can cut nonresident tuition at public schools in member states.
No program in Nebraska
Game Design Schools Near Nebraska for 2027
Grand View University is the nearest campus to Omaha at 129 miles. It is private, a game design program, scores 60.4, and costs $22,296 net with 4 graduates a year. Bethany College is next at 204 miles, but at $29,571 net it is pricey for its score of 39.8.
Missouri has the strongest cluster. Drury University is 316 miles from Omaha at $22,194, Lindenwood University is 340 miles away at $18,698, and Webster University is 354 miles away at $27,695. The only public option is University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 490 miles from Omaha, a simulation program, scoring 67.6, at $16,816 net, which makes it the cheapest of the eight. Nebraska's exchange, the Midwest Student Exchange Program, lists no member with a public game program nearby.
Ranked by this site's score. Miles are straight-line distance from Omaha (Census Vintage 2024 largest city) to each campus (IPEDS coordinates). Completion and net price are school-wide IPEDS figures.
Saint Charles, MO · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 340 miles
70.5
#23 of 89 nationally
340 miles from Omaha
Private
Nebraska students looking east will find Lindenwood in Saint Charles, Missouri, 340 miles from Omaha. It is a private nonprofit, so the $19,900 tuition is the same for every student and a Nebraska address adds nothing to the bill. The campus is in a city, with a school-wide enrollment of 6,826.
The Bachelor of Arts in Game Design is delivered in a blended format and leans on hands-on work. Courses carry a game idea from concept to creation, covering aesthetics, immersion and usability, while storytelling and character development supply the writing side. The net price for aided first-years is $18,698 school-wide, and the admit rate across the university is 57%.
Completion across the university is 58% within eight years, and about 13 students graduate from the game design program each year. A Nebraska student who prefers to stay home can look at the online version, which is a separate 120-credit program.
Colorado Springs, CO · Public · Simulation program · 490 miles
67.6
#28 of 89 nationally
490 miles from Omaha
Lowest net price on this list
Technical track: simulation
Public
Nebraska students looking west should know this program is 490 miles from Omaha, so it means moving, not commuting. The campus sits in a city in Colorado Springs, and it offers a Bachelor of Innovation in Game Design and Development, 120 credits, delivered on campus.
Nebraska residents pay the out-of-state rate: published tuition is $23,155 a year, compared with $9,022 for Colorado residents, a gap of $14,133. The cost of attendance is $30,355 school-wide before aid, and aided first-years pay a net price of $16,816. The degree builds programming and game design skills, plus an innovation core for team work in a business setting, and it also offers breadth in art and music. School-wide, 48% of entering students finish within eight years and the admit rate is 97%.
Springfield, MO · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 316 miles
63.2
#35 of 89 nationally
316 miles from Omaha
Private
Springfield, Missouri, is 316 miles from Omaha, and Drury University is where Nebraska students would find a computer science degree with a game development focus. The 41-credit major covers discrete mathematics, data structures, computer systems and programming languages, and a C or higher is required in key early courses before students move on to algorithms.
Math support work adds eight hours. Out-of-state students pay the same $35,400 tuition, and the net price for aided first-years is $22,194 school-wide. Earnings for graduates of all majors were $40,694 ten years out. About 6 students graduate each year from this program, and the admit rate is 58%. The program learning outcomes include applying modern software development tools and techniques. Completion across the university is 60% within eight years.
Des Moines, IA · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 129 miles
60.5
#41 of 89 nationally
129 miles from Omaha
Private
Omaha sits 129 miles from Grand View University, the shortest drive of the group for a Nebraska student looking at a game design major in Des Moines. The college is private and city-based, with a published tuition of $34,112 that does not rise for students from other states.
School-wide figures help frame the choice. The net price for aided first-year students is $22,296 and the sticker cost of attendance is $54,440. Admission is open to 99% of applicants. Across the university, 59% of entering students graduate within eight years. The program itself is small, with roughly 4 completions a year.
Ten-year earnings for graduates of all majors across the university are $52,824. The college enrolls 1,856 students in Des Moines, which keeps the campus small.
Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 354 miles
59.7
#44 of 89 nationally
354 miles from Omaha
Private
Webster University is 354 miles from Omaha, and for a Nebraska student the pitch is a studio-style game degree with real production space. Students use a film soundstage, an audio studio and an LED video wall, and game majors collaborate with film, audio and animation students.
Private tuition of $31,450 is the same for everyone, so Nebraska residents pay no surcharge. Net price for aided first-year students is $27,695 school-wide, and the admit rate across the university is 86%. About 17 students a year complete the Games Design and Development B.A., and the campus is suburban.
Webster teaches Unity and Unreal Engine, the two engines students call industry standard, and is an official Unreal Engine Academic Partner. The completion rate across the university is 58% within eight years.
Lakewood, CO · Private for-profit · Game design program · 485 miles
50.7
#67 of 89 nationally
485 miles from Omaha
Largest program on this list
Private
Omaha is 485 miles from Lakewood, which is why many Nebraska students look at the online route to RMCAD. The Game Art BFA is the largest program on this list, with about 23 graduates a year, and it is offered both on campus and online.
The curriculum covers 3D modeling, texture mapping, rigging, lighting and observational drawing, with courses in digital painting for film and games and in business ethics and copyright. Private tuition is $17,760 for every student, so being from Nebraska adds no premium. School-wide, net price after aid is $27,459, and earnings ten years after entry average $42,958 across all majors. Students apply with transcripts and a FAFSA. Coursework is split between game art studios and a liberal arts sequence that includes composition, speech communication and art history.
Denver, CO · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 481 miles
39.9
#83 of 89 nationally
481 miles from Omaha
Highest completion on this list
Private
A Nebraska student looking at the University of Denver is looking at a 481-mile move from Omaha, so it helps to know what the degree delivers. The Bachelor of Science in Game Development pairs a technical foundation equal to a computer science degree with the art and design sensibility to work alongside artists on a game team.
Tuition is $60,048 and does not vary by state, because the university is private. Net price for aided first-year students is $43,324 school-wide, and the sticker cost of attendance is $82,566 before aid. Across the university, 75% of entering students complete within eight years, and about 6 students a year graduate from this program.
Admission is open to 78% of applicants, and the SAT midpoint is 1325. The university enrolls 12,813 students in a city setting.
Lindsborg, KS · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 204 miles
39.9
#84 of 89 nationally
204 miles from Omaha
Private
Omaha is 204 miles from Bethany College, in Lindsborg, Kansas, where a Nebraska student could study Video Game Design in a small rural community. The major combines art-making with computer skills for building interactive game environments and animated actions with an immersive narrative.
Students learn alongside working professional artists and build a portfolio in labs the college calls state of the art. Tuition is $30,700, and Nebraska residents pay the same, with a school-wide net price of $29,571 for aided first-years. The college has 615 students, a 56% admit rate and a 40% eight-year completion rate. About 2 students finish the major each year. The college enrolls few students, which keeps faculty attention high. Earnings for graduates of all majors were $49,694 ten years out.
Completion
40%school-wide
Net price
$29,571aided first-years
Grads a year
2this program
Earnings
$49,69410 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
These are not game design degrees. Nebraska 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 Nebraska
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 25 in Nebraska, computer science and software first, then digital media and animation, then graphic design, with graduates in 2023-24.
Nebraska pays under the national median, though living costs are low. For game programmers, the nearest figure is software developers, at a state median of $110,900, well off the national median by $25,080, with 7,260 employed. For game and UI design, the closest category is web and digital interface designers, at $65,520, which is $38,480 below.
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$56,700
$46,400–$65,590$46k–$66k$46,400 to $65,590
1,670
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$95,150
$66,180–$124,690$66k–$125k$66,180 to $124,690
1,090
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$73,270
$60,130–$90,650$60k–$91k$60,130 to $90,650
140
$114,850
Annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025. The middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
Pay in Nebraska's Largest Metro Areas
Metro area
Software developers
Web and digital interface designers
Special effects artists and animators
Price level
Omaha, NE-IA
$125,220
$71,210
$53,280
91.9
Lincoln, NE
$101,690
$64,510
Not published
91.6
Grand Island, NE
$96,260
Not published
Not published
86.7
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.
Animation is the weakest spot. Special effects artists and animators earn $50,830 with 90 employed, which is $51,200 below the national median. Graphic designers earn $56,700 with 1,670 employed. Art directors earn $73,270, $41,580 below. Computer programmers earn $95,150, just $5,240 below the national median, which makes programming the best fit at home. Most people begin in QA, in a junior design seat, in art and UI, or in junior programming.
Omaha is the only metro with every occupation published. Software developers there earn $125,220, animators $53,280 and art directors $78,420. Lincoln pays software developers $101,690, and Grand Island pays $96,260, with no published figure there for designers or animators.
Costs are low. Nebraska is about 9.9% cheaper than the national average, with a state price level of 90.1. Omaha is at 91.9, Lincoln at 91.6 and Grand Island at 86.7, so a modest salary covers more than the raw medians imply.
About 7,260 people work as software developers in Nebraska. In Nebraska, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $65,520, which is 37% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in Nebraska: BEA puts prices 9.9% 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 Nebraska
Paying for School in Nebraska
Nebraska has 9 public four-year colleges, where residents pay $6,668 on average and outsiders pay $13,974, a premium of $7,306. In-state students who receive aid pay an average net price of $15,913. There are no game programs in the state, so no game-school tuition averages apply.
Public colleges in NE
Figure
Public four-year colleges
9
Average in-state tuition
$6,668
Average out-of-state tuition
$13,974
Average net price, aided in-state students
$15,913
Means across Nebraska'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 (7 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 $15,913 on average across 9, against $13,240 in the median state.
The Nebraska Opportunity Grant, run by the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, is need based, and it generally applies to Nebraska schools, so ask before assuming it follows you out of state. The Midwest Student Exchange Program is Nebraska's exchange, but the data shows no member with a public game program nearby.
Nebraska's public colleges charge average in-state tuition of $6,668, which is low, so staying home to study a related field is a real option. You can add game skills through projects, a minor or online courses. Those are not game design degrees, so be clear with employers about what your degree is and what your portfolio shows.
State Aid in Nebraska
Nebraska's main need program for undergraduates is the Nebraska Opportunity Grant, run by the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education. In its own words: "Nebraska Opportunity Grant (NOG) - provides financial aid to students who are residents of Nebraska, have not earned a bachelor’s, graduate or professional degree, have high financial need" Fill out the FAFSA early, since many state programs award money until it runs out.
Tuition Exchanges
Nebraska 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 Nebraska
Decide whether you want public or private. Just one of the eight is public, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and it is the farthest from Omaha apart from Denver-area schools. The private options in Missouri and Iowa are much closer. Drive time matters, so visit two or three campuses before you decide, and ask each one for a recent graduate you can speak with.
If price drives the decision, compare Lindenwood University at $18,698 and Drury University at $22,194 with University of Colorado Colorado Springs at $16,816. Missouri has three programs and Colorado has three as well, so you can visit several in one trip.
A lot of Nebraska students will find online makes more sense than a move of several hundred miles. Omaha's software developers earn $125,220, so a programming-focused online degree can lead to local work. Weigh the move against the online net prices below before you commit.
Neighboring States
Neighboring stateColorado3 ranked game bachelor's · 10 programs in allView the Colorado guide ›
Neighboring stateMissouri3 ranked game bachelor's · 8 programs in allView the Missouri guide ›
Neighboring stateIowa1 ranked game bachelor's · 4 programs in allView the Iowa guide ›
Neighboring stateKansas1 ranked game bachelor's · 5 programs in allView the Kansas guide ›
Neighboring stateSouth Dakota1 related programs, no game bachelor'sView the South Dakota guide ›
Neighboring stateWyomingNo programs; the guide lists the nearestView the Wyoming guide ›
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Game Design Offered in Nebraska?
Nebraska has no bachelor's game design program in the federal data, so the closest ranked options are in neighboring states. Lindenwood University in Missouri scores highest at 70.5, 340 miles from Omaha, with 58% completion and a $18,698 net price. University of Colorado Colorado Springs in Colorado is next at 67.6. Nebraska 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 Should I Expect to Earn in Games in Nebraska?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $110,900 in Nebraska, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). In Nebraska, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $65,520, which is 37% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in Nebraska: BEA puts prices 9.9% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further. About 7,260 people work as software developers in Nebraska. See what game jobs pay in Nebraska.
Which Game School Near Nebraska Has the Lowest Price?
The lowest-priced ranked option for Nebraska students is University of Colorado Colorado Springs in Colorado, at an average net price of $16,816 a year for aided first-year students. The catch is completion: 48% 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 Nebraska averages $6,668, if a related program at home fits. See paying for school in Nebraska.
Is Nebraska Cheap to Live In?
Nebraska is cheaper than average to live in: overall prices run at 90.1 on BEA's Regional Price Parities, where the U.S. average is 100, and housing at 75.2. Housing pulls the cost down most, at 75.2 on BEA's housing index against 100 nationally. Public colleges cost more here than in most states, with aided in-state students paying $15,913 on average across 9, against $13,240 in the median state. See what game jobs pay in Nebraska.
How Much More Do Out-of-State Students Pay in Nebraska?
Out-of-state students pay about $7,306 more a year in tuition at Nebraska's public four-year colleges, where in-state tuition averages $6,668 against $13,974 for nonresidents (IPEDS 2023-24). After grants, aided in-state students pay an average net price of $15,913. Nebraska 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 paying for school in Nebraska.
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.
