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For North Dakota students

Game Design Degrees for North Dakota Students

North Dakota has no bachelor's game design programs, and neither do Minnesota, Montana or South Dakota, so game design degrees for North Dakota students mean leaving, studying online or choosing a related major. The nearest campus from Fargo is University of Wisconsin-Stout, 273 miles away, which nets $15,574 and scores 82.0. Grand View University, in Iowa, is 396 miles out.

Kevin ToFounder & Editor B.S. in Computer Science, Temple University Updated

A field of sunflowers in bloom stretching to a line of trees under a pale sky
14 Related Bachelor's Programs in the State computer science, animation and digital media IPEDS
13 Fully Online Game Design Programs Ranked open to students from any state Our ranking
273 mi To the Nearest Campus From Fargo University of Wisconsin-Stout Our analysis
On this page
  1. Game Design Options for North Dakota Students in 60 Seconds
  2. Related Programs in North Dakota
  3. Online Game Design Degrees for North Dakota Students
  4. The Nearest Game Design Programs to North Dakota for 2027
  5. What Game Jobs Pay in North Dakota
  6. Paying for School in North Dakota
  7. How to Choose a Game Design Program If You Live in North Dakota
  8. Frequently Asked Questions
  9. Related Pages
  10. Sources

Game Design Options for North Dakota Students in 60 Seconds

  • Closest fit at home: North Dakota State University-Main Campus. It graduates bachelor's students in computer science. It awarded 77 bachelor's degrees in 2023-24, as a related program outside the game design ranking. University of North Dakota is another option at home. Related Programs ›
  • Wilmington University tops the online options. Its net price is $14,267. Check it's authorized in North Dakota. University of Cincinnati-Main Campus is next at $21,511. Online ›
  • Closest campus program: 273 miles away. University of Wisconsin-Stout in Wisconsin, which scores 82.0. Its net price is $15,574. Grand View University in Iowa is next, 396 miles away. Nearest Programs ›
  • Software developers earn $105,600 here. The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 1,450 people work as software developers in North Dakota. In North Dakota, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $64,260, which is 38% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in North Dakota: BEA puts prices 11.0% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further. Pay ›
  • Public in-state tuition averages $6,417. The North Dakota State Grant is North Dakota's main state grant. North Dakota's public four-year colleges are a good deal: aided in-state students pay $12,120 on average across 9, under the $13,240 median state. Out of state, tuition averages $8,644. Costs ›

Heads up North Dakota belongs to the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), which can cut nonresident tuition at public schools in member states.

In North Dakota

These are not game design degrees. North Dakota has no bachelor's in game design, game programming or simulation. These bachelor's programs in computer science, software, animation and digital media are the closest fields taught in the state, and each leads to some game work: programming for computer science, art and animation for the art programs.

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 14 in North Dakota, computer science and software first, then digital media and animation, then graphic design, with graduates in 2023-24.

Study from home

Online Game Design Degrees for North Dakota Students

Wilmington University leads online at $14,267 net and a score of 72.2, ahead of Lindenwood University at $18,698. Baker College charges $14,743 for its Bachelor of Science Game Software Development. Online schools must be authorized to enroll North Dakota residents, so confirm that first, and ask about residency rules too. Hybrid or low-residency formats can help if you work. Against the $12,120 average net price at North Dakota's public colleges, online costs a bit more, but Wilmington University costs less than University of Wisconsin-Stout at $15,574 net.

The five highest-scoring programs confirmed fully online on their own pages. Net price is the school-wide IPEDS average for aided first-year students.

Online programs must be authorized to enroll students in your state, and this site's data doesn't record authorization by state, so check each school's state authorization page before you apply. The online game design degree ranking has every confirmed program.

On campus

The Nearest Game Design Programs to North Dakota for 2027

These are the 8 game design, game programming and simulation bachelor's programs closest to Fargo, in straight-line miles from Fargo (Census Vintage 2024) to each campus (IPEDS coordinates), anywhere in the country. They're listed by national rank, best first, and the number on each card is that rank, of 89. Completion, net price and earnings are school-wide; graduates a year is the program's own.

7

University of Wisconsin-Stout

Menomonie, WI · Public · Simulation program · 273 miles

82.0
  • #7 of 89 nationally
  • 273 miles from Fargo
  • Lowest net price on this list
  • Largest program on this list
  • Technical track: simulation
  • Public

Fargo is 273 miles away, so North Dakota students would be moving rather than commuting, and Stout offers a sizable program to move for: about 67 students graduate each year. The B.F.A. in Game Design and Development teaches game art, from concept art and 3D characters to lighting, visual effects and user interface work.

North Dakota residents pay the non-resident rate of $16,279 in published tuition, an extra $8,564 over the $7,715 Wisconsin residents pay. Aided first-years pay $15,574 net school-wide. Students can add a paid or unpaid internship through the university's cooperative education program, with placements at boutique game houses, design studios and schools. The college is a town campus with 6,926 students, and 59% of entering students school-wide finish within eight years.

Completion
59%school-wide
Net price
$15,574aided first-years
Grads a year
67this program
Earnings
$58,08410 yrs, all majors
Sticker cost
$23,693cost of attendance, before aid
Campus setting
TownIPEDS locale

View University of Wisconsin-Stout's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Design and Development

23

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, MO · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 643 miles

70.5
  • #23 of 89 nationally
  • 643 miles from Fargo
  • Private

A North Dakota student would travel 643 miles from Fargo to reach Lindenwood in Saint Charles, Missouri, so this is a program to choose deliberately rather than by default. The online version of the game design degree takes some of that distance out, and the blended on-campus format is there for those who relocate.

Tuition is $19,900 for all students because the university is private nonprofit, which means no out-of-state premium. The curriculum follows the game design life cycle through production, game art, programming, scripting and quality assurance, with portfolio courses throughout. Across the university, the net price for aided first-years is $18,698 and 58% of students finish within eight years.

Cost is the other consideration for a distant student. The school-wide cost of attendance is $37,702, the net price for aided first-years is lower at $18,698, and the admit rate across the university is 57%. About 13 students graduate from the program annually.

Completion
58%school-wide
Net price
$18,698aided first-years
Grads a year
13this program
Earnings
$53,27810 yrs, all majors
Out-of-state premium
None (private)same tuition for all students
Admit rate
57%school-wide

View Lindenwood University's Bachelor of Arts in Game Design

40

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 570 miles

60.9
  • #40 of 89 nationally
  • 570 miles from Fargo
  • Private

Fargo is 570 miles from Columbia College Chicago, a long drive or short flight for a North Dakota student interested in game and interactive media design. Careers named by the program include narrative designer, game programmer, technical designer, software developer and UX/UI designer.

Popular minors include animation, arts management and graphic design, and student clubs let game and art students collaborate. Tuition is $32,272 regardless of home state. Across the college, 56% of entering students complete a degree within eight years. School-wide, aided first-years pay $29,790 net, and the cost of attendance before aid is $59,907.

About 47 students a year earn the degree, and the college admits 89% of applicants. Ten-year earnings for graduates of all majors are $42,195.

Completion
56%school-wide
Net price
$29,790aided first-years
Grads a year
47this program
Earnings
$42,19510 yrs, all majors
Out-of-state premium
None (private)same tuition for all students
Admit rate
89%school-wide

View Columbia College Chicago's Bachelor of Arts in Game and Interactive Media Design

41

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 396 miles

60.5
  • #41 of 89 nationally
  • 396 miles from Fargo
  • Private

Fargo is 396 miles from Des Moines, so a North Dakota student heading to Grand View University is making a real relocation for its game design major. The university is a private, city-based college with 1,856 students, and tuition is $34,112 for every student regardless of home state.

Before aid, the full cost of attendance is $54,440, but first-year students who receive aid pay $22,296 on average school-wide. Graduates of all majors across the university earn $52,824 ten years after entering. The game design major graduates about 4 students a year, so classes are likely to be intimate.

The admit rate across the university is 99%, and 59% of entering students finish within eight years. Students from out of state pay no premium.

Completion
59%school-wide
Net price
$22,296aided first-years
Grads a year
4this program
Earnings
$52,82410 yrs, all majors
Out-of-state premium
None (private)same tuition for all students
Admit rate
99%school-wide

View Grand View University's Bachelor's in Game Design

44

Webster University

Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 659 miles

59.7
  • #44 of 89 nationally
  • 659 miles from Fargo
  • Private

From Fargo, Webster University is 659 miles away, a long trip that suits a student who wants a program with broad scope. The Bachelor of Arts covers design and implementation across computer, mobile and analog games, taught by professors who include industry veterans of decades.

Tuition is $31,450 for every student, because Webster is private. School-wide, net price for aided first-years is $27,695 and cost of attendance before aid is $53,626. Across the university, 58% of entering students graduate within eight years. The program graduates about 17 students a year at a suburban campus.

Students describe a community where classmates push each other to grow rather than compete. Webster enrolls 8,260 students, the admit rate is 86%, and the SAT midpoint is 1210.

Completion
58%school-wide
Net price
$27,695aided first-years
Grads a year
17this program
Earnings
$50,87610 yrs, all majors
Out-of-state premium
None (private)same tuition for all students
Campus setting
SuburbanIPEDS locale

View Webster University's Bachelor of Arts in Games Design and Development

67

Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design

Lakewood, CO · Private for-profit · Game design program · 643 miles

50.7
  • #67 of 89 nationally
  • 643 miles from Fargo
  • Private

Fargo is 643 miles from Lakewood, so for North Dakota students the relevant fact is that RMCAD teaches this Game Art BFA online. The courses are taught by working industry professionals and focus on turning concept art into game-ready assets, characters and worlds.

Tuition is $17,760, the same for in-state and out-of-state students, and the rate stays fixed while a student remains enrolled. Applicants submit transcripts, a FAFSA and a portfolio for scholarship consideration. Across the college, 31% of entering students complete within eight years, and the net price for aided first-years is $27,459. About 23 students graduate from the program yearly, which is a sizable cohort for this field. The curriculum pairs 48 credits of game art with 45 credits of liberal arts, so the degree is broader than studio work alone.

Completion
31%school-wide
Net price
$27,459aided first-years
Grads a year
23this program
Earnings
$42,95810 yrs, all majors
Out-of-state premium
None (private)same tuition for all students
Campus setting
SuburbanIPEDS locale

View Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Art

83

University of Denver

Denver, CO · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 643 miles

39.9
  • #83 of 89 nationally
  • 643 miles from Fargo
  • Highest completion on this list
  • Private

Fargo is 643 miles from the University of Denver, so a North Dakota student would be moving to a mountain-state city of a private university with 12,813 students. Tuition there is $60,048 regardless of home state.

The Game Development B.S. ends in a 10-week capstone, Game Capstone I, where student teams design, build, test and debug a fully working game from scratch, with the instructor acting as project manager. Students learn group collaboration, software process and testing along the way. School-wide, net price for aided first-years is $43,324, and the university reports $71,155 in earnings ten years after entry across all majors.

The admit rate across the university is 78%, and 75% of entering students complete within eight years. Cost of attendance before aid is $82,566.

Completion
75%school-wide
Net price
$43,324aided first-years
Grads a year
6this program
Earnings
$71,15510 yrs, all majors
Out-of-state premium
None (private)same tuition for all students
Sticker cost
$82,566cost of attendance, before aid

View University of Denver's Bachelor of Science in Game Development

84

Bethany College

Lindsborg, KS · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 574 miles

39.9
  • #84 of 89 nationally
  • 574 miles from Fargo
  • Private

Fargo is 574 miles from Bethany College, so North Dakota students would be heading to a small rural campus in Lindsborg, Kansas. The Video Game Design major sits among several art majors and teaches 3D modeling, animation, game publishing and the logic of triggers and levels.

Costs are straightforward, since a private college charges one rate: $30,700 tuition, the same for out-of-state students, and a net price of $29,571 for aided first-years school-wide. Earnings for graduates of all majors were $49,694 ten years out. Enrollment is 615 students and about 2 people graduate from this program in a year, so students get personal attention from faculty. Faculty include people who worked on major films, according to the department. The admit rate is 56% school-wide, and completion within eight years is 40%.

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

View Bethany College's Video Game Design Major

Pay in North Dakota

What Game Jobs Pay in North Dakota

North Dakota pays less than the national median for every game-adjacent occupation with a published figure, but living costs are low. Of the 1,450 software developers, the BLS group that holds game programmers, the median earner makes $105,600, which is $30,380 short of the national median. Computer programmers earn $92,280, $8,110 below the national median.

OccupationND medianMiddle halfEmployed in NDU.S. median
Software developersGame programmers and engine developers are counted here $105,600 $78,870 to $126,510 1,450$135,980
Web and digital interface designersGame designers and UI designers are counted here $64,260 $59,050 to $80,500 40$104,000
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start $56,470 $45,270 to $63,760 460$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development $92,280 $77,180 to $113,940 190$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job $83,170 $78,740 to $95,260 30$114,850
BLS doesn't publish special effects artists and animators pay for North Dakota. 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 North Dakota's Largest Metro Areas

Metro areaSoftware developersWeb and digital interface designersPrice level
Fargo, ND-MN$105,980$69,200May 202390.9
Bismarck, ND$106,020Not published91
Grand Forks, ND-MN$92,120Not published86.7
 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. Figures tagged May 2023 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.

Design and art are small markets. The web and digital interface designer median is $64,260, $39,740 below the national median, and only 40 are employed. Graphic designers earn $56,470 with 460 employed, and art directors earn $83,170 with 30 employed. BLS publishes no median for special effects artists and animators in the state, so there's no animation wage to quote. A first job would likely be QA tester, junior designer, art and UI assistant or junior programmer, and openings are few locally.

Fargo and Bismarck pay software developers $105,980 and $106,020, nearly the same. Computer programmers earn $92,280 in Fargo and $83,160 in Bismarck. Grand Forks pays software developers $92,120. Art and design medians are mostly unpublished at the metro level.

Cost of living offsets some of the gap. BEA gives North Dakota a price level of 89, about 11.0% under the national average, and Grand Forks is lowest at 86.7 against 90.9 in Fargo and 91 in Bismarck. Software salaries go further here, and a remote game job paid at a coastal rate would go further still, but a studio job in design or animation will probably mean working remotely or relocating.

About 1,450 people work as software developers in North Dakota. In North Dakota, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $64,260, which is 38% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in North Dakota: BEA puts prices 11.0% 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 North Dakota

Paying for School in North Dakota

Residents of North Dakota pay $6,417 in tuition at its nine public four-year colleges, and outsiders pay $8,644, only $2,227 more. With aid applied, an in-state student averages $12,120. That small premium means the sticker price barely penalizes an outsider, which is unusual. It also means the net price you see at a North Dakota public college is close to what an out-of-state friend would pay, so compare net prices rather than residency.

Public colleges in NDFigure
Public four-year colleges9
Average in-state tuition$6,417
Average out-of-state tuition$8,644
Average net price, aided in-state students$12,120
 Means across North Dakota's public four-year degree-granting colleges that offer undergraduate study: tuition from IPEDS for 2023-24 (9 colleges reporting), net price for 2022-23 (9 reporting). Net price is what first-year students with grant aid paid after grants.

North Dakota's public four-year colleges are a good deal: aided in-state students pay $12,120 on average across 9, under the $13,240 median state.

The North Dakota State Grant, run by the North Dakota University System, is need-based. North Dakota is a member of the Western Undergraduate Exchange, which can cut out-of-state tuition at public schools in participating states. No exchange member nearby has a public game program in the data, so it matters most for a degree in a related field.

State Aid in North Dakota

North Dakota's main need program for undergraduates is the North Dakota State Grant, run by the North Dakota University System. In its own words: "The North Dakota State Grant awards up to $1,375 per semester or $917 per quarter, based on enrollment status." Fill out the FAFSA early, since many state programs award money until it runs out.

Tuition Exchanges

North Dakota belongs to the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE). In the program's own words, "WUE enables eligible students to enroll as nonresidents in 170 participating public colleges and universities and pay 150% (or less) of the enrolling institution’s resident tuition."

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP)

Choosing

How to Choose a Game Design Program If You Live in North Dakota

You have three realistic routes: move for a game program, study online, or earn a related degree at home. Moving makes sense if you want a campus game community. University of Wisconsin-Stout scores 82.0, the highest of the eight nearest campuses, at $15,574 net, though it's 273 miles from Fargo.

A related degree at home is cheaper and keeps you near family. North Dakota State University-Main Campus graduated 77 computer science students in 2024, and University of North Dakota graduated 22 in computer and information sciences. Minot State University and Valley City State University round out the list with computer information systems degrees. None of these is a game design degree, so you'd build a portfolio and learn an engine on your own.

Plan for distance and cost, because every campus on the nearest-eight list is at least 273 miles from Fargo and you'd be paying for housing as well as tuition. Columbia College Chicago is 570 miles from Fargo at $29,790 net, and Grand View University is 396 miles at $22,296. Online programs let you keep North Dakota's price level of 89 and low tuition.

Neighboring States

  • Neighboring state Minnesota 4 related programs, no game bachelor's
  • Neighboring state Montana No programs; the guide lists the nearest
  • Neighboring state South Dakota 1 related programs, no game bachelor's
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Does North Dakota Have Game Design Schools?

There's no bachelor's game design program in North Dakota or the states around it in the federal data, so your choices are an online degree, a related program at home, or a campus farther away. The nearest campus is University of Wisconsin-Stout in Wisconsin, 273 miles from Fargo, with a $15,574 net price. Online, Wilmington University scores highest at $14,267 a year. See the nearest programs.

How Well Do Game Designers Get Paid in North Dakota?

In North Dakota, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $64,260, which is 38% under the national median of $104,000. Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $105,600 in North Dakota, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). Living costs work in your favor in North Dakota: BEA puts prices 11.0% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further. About 1,450 people work as software developers in North Dakota. See what game jobs pay in North Dakota.

Does North Dakota Have a Tuition Exchange?

Yes, through the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE): North Dakota is a member, and in the exchange's own words, "WUE enables eligible students to enroll as nonresidents in 170 participating public colleges and universities and pay 150% (or less) of the enrolling institution’s resident tuition." 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 North Dakota's own public colleges averages $8,644 against $6,417 in state. See paying for school in North Dakota.

What Can I Study in North Dakota Instead?

You can study related fields in North Dakota: 7 colleges graduate bachelor's students in computer science, software, animation, digital media or graphic design. Of the programs listed here, North Dakota State University-Main Campus graduated the most in 2023-24, 77 in computer science. A computer science degree leads to the same programming jobs as a game programming degree, and you can build a game portfolio on the side. See related programs in North Dakota.

How Much More Do Out-of-State Students Pay in North Dakota?

Out-of-state students pay about $2,227 more a year in tuition at North Dakota's public four-year colleges, where in-state tuition averages $6,417 against $8,644 for nonresidents (IPEDS 2023-24). After grants, aided in-state students pay an average net price of $12,120. North Dakota belongs to the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), which can cut nonresident tuition at public colleges in member states, though each college picks which programs take part. See paying for school in North Dakota.

Keep exploring

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Sources

  1. 1 NCES, IPEDS Completions 2022 to 2024 and Completions by Distance Education 2024 Every program in the ranking, the field code it is filed under, its graduates each year, and whether the school reports it can be completed by distance education. 354 programs in four fields. Accessed .
  2. 2 NCES, 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.
  3. 3 NCES, IPEDS Student Financial Aid 2022-23, average net price The cost factor: average net price for first-time, full-time students who received grant aid, in-state for public schools. School-wide.
  4. 4 NCES, IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24, tuition Average graduate tuition, in-state and out-of-state, used for the master's cost factor.
  5. 5 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), all-data file, May 2025 State and metro wages, 25th and 75th percentiles and employment for the six occupations in the pay tables. Accessed .
  6. 6 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, all data files, May 2023 Only for table cells BLS suppressed in the current release; each is tagged May 2023. Accessed .
  7. 7 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by State (SARPP) and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Area (MARPP), 2024 Price levels for the state and its metros, U.S. = 100. Accessed .
  8. 8 IPEDS IC2023_AY (TUITION2, TUITION3) and SFA2223 (NPIST2), public four-year degree-granting colleges offering undergraduate study (HD2024) Average tuition and net price at the state's public four-year colleges. Accessed .
  9. 9 U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 population estimates for incorporated places (SUB-EST2024); internal points from the 2024 Gazetteer place file Fargo, the starting point for every distance on this page. Accessed .
  10. 10 IPEDS C2024_A completions, first majors, bachelor's (AWLEVEL 5), award year 2023-24 Related bachelor's programs in the state. Accessed .
  11. 11 North Dakota University System, North Dakota State Grant The state grant program named on this page. Accessed .
  12. 12 Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE): member states and terms Member states and the quoted terms. Accessed .