Five of the game design schools in Pennsylvania have ranked bachelor's programs, three private and two public. Harrisburg University of Science and Technology leads at 27 of 89 and nets $14,882, but only 35% of its students finish. Pennsylvania College of Technology, at 38 of 89, is the highest-ranked public school.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
5Game Design Bachelor's Programs Ranked for 2027top score: Harrisburg University of Science and TechnologyOur ranking
10Game-Related Programs in the State8 bachelor's, 2 associate, 0 graduateIPEDS
$25.1kMedian Net Pricebachelor's schools here, aided first-year studentsIPEDS
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology leads at 68.7.5 ranked programs in Pennsylvania, scored on completion, net price and size. It finishes 35% of its students and has a $14,882 net price. Albright College is next at 61.5.The Ranking ›
Software developers earn $126,550 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 55,920 people work as software developers in Pennsylvania. Pay for web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, in Pennsylvania sits close to the national median: $104,160 against $104,000. BEA's index puts prices in Pennsylvania near the U.S. average, at 97.6.Pay ›
Living costs sit near the U.S. average.BEA's index puts prices in Pennsylvania near the U.S. average, at 97.6.Prices ›
Public in-state tuition averages $13,068.The Pennsylvania State Grant is Pennsylvania's main state grant. Public colleges cost more here than in most states, with aided in-state students paying $19,593 on average across 39, against $13,240 in the median state. Out of state, tuition averages $22,471.Costs ›
City guides: Philadelphia, Reading and more.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 ›
Pennsylvania in brief
Key Facts About Studying Game Design in Pennsylvania
Three of the five are game design programs, one simulation and one game programming. Albright College ranks 37 of 89 at $22,116 net, and Pennsylvania College of Art and Design ranks 62 of 89 at $30,437. Harrisburg University of Science and Technology graduates 20 a year, while Albright College graduates eight and Pennsylvania College of Art and Design graduates nine.
The public pair are Pennsylvania College of Technology (simulation, six graduates a year) and Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (game programming, three a year). Kutztown University of Pennsylvania ranks 48 of 89 and Pennsylvania College of Technology 38 of 89. Beyond those, 10 game-related programs sit at 9 colleges, with two associate programs. Three animation bachelor's schools exist too: Point Park University, Chatham University, Drexel University, none of which counts as game design. Each of those animation schools is a legitimate art route for an artist, but you'd need to build the game side with your own projects and electives. Net prices there run from $25,477 at Point Park University to $42,342 at Drexel University, with Chatham University at $29,051.
Every score on this page is the same score the national rankings use, built on completion, net price and program size, from federal data. The methodology has the details.
Ranked in Pennsylvania
The 5 Best Game Design Schools in Pennsylvania for 2027
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology leads, ranked 27 of 89 in the national game design ranking, with a completion rate of 35% and an average net price of $14,882. 2 of the 5 are public. The best game design schools ranking shows how these compare with every school in the country.
Each ranked program in Pennsylvania, in rank order: what stands out, the trade-off to weigh, and the figures behind the score. Completion, net price and earnings are school-wide; graduates a year is the program's own; the score is out of 100.
Harrisburg, PA · Private nonprofit · Game design program
68.7
#27 of 89 nationally
Lowest net price in Pennsylvania
Largest program in Pennsylvania
Private
Harrisburg University's B.S. in Game Design is an on-campus degree of 50 semester hours that aims to prepare students for design work without requiring extensive coding. Courses include History of Video Games, design fundamentals, prototyping, game art and animation, level design and world and narrative design, and the degree closes with two capstone Game Studio courses.
Pennsylvania students pay the private-university rate of $23,900 in published tuition, with no residency difference. School-wide net price for aided first-years is $14,882, against a cost of attendance of $39,506. The university is in a city setting in Harrisburg, and about 20 students a year finish the game design program. Across the university, 3,650 students are enrolled, 87% of applicants are admitted, and 35% of students complete a degree within eight years.
Reading, PA · Private nonprofit · Game design program
61.5
#37 of 89 nationally
Private
Albright College's Game & Simulation Development major blends programming, digital art, narrative design and user experience. Required courses include Computer Graphics, Gaming Physics and Math, Graphics Programming, Simulation Design, Sound Design for Visual Media and Game Production, and the capstone must demonstrate professional competence with current gaming standards.
Judges from game companies review student work each semester, and Game Jams are judged by professionals from companies like Ubisoft and 2K Games. In Pennsylvania, tuition at this private college is $27,836, and aided first-years pay a net price of $22,116 school-wide. About 8 students graduate from the program a year, from a college of 1,380. The college is in Reading, a city setting, and 53% of entering students complete a degree within eight years.
Penn College sits in Williamsport, a city campus in north-central Pennsylvania, and it is a public school, so Pennsylvania residents pay published tuition of $15,450 a year before aid. Students from other states pay $23,190, a premium of $7,740 per year. Aided first-year students across the college pay a net price of $24,650, against a $35,408 cost of attendance.
For a student choosing within the state, the program is a technical bachelor's in game and simulation programming covering 126.5 credits. About 4,575 students attend the college, and 64% of them complete a degree within eight years, the highest school-wide completion rate among Pennsylvania schools listed here. Typical earnings ten years out are $52,567 across all majors at the college. The campus is in a city setting, and the program page lists a Game & Simulation Lab.
Kutztown is one of the few town campuses among the 89 programs we rank, a public university in Berks County with an on-campus esports gaming arena. Pennsylvania residents pay published tuition of $7,716 a year, and out-of-state students pay $12,590, a gap of $4,874. Aided first-years across the university pay a net price of $21,856, while the sticker cost of attendance is $30,598.
Within the state, the appeal is a low price attached to a 120-credit, in-person bachelor's in game development. About 7,467 students attend the university, and 57% of entering students complete a degree within eight years. Ten years after entry, earnings average $53,775 across all majors at the school. The program also lists tuition with financial aid options and experienced professors among its selling points.
Lancaster, PA · Private nonprofit · Game design program
52.3
#62 of 89 nationally
Private
Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is the smallest school among the 89 on this list, with 414 students, and its Animation & Game Art department runs on that scale. A department tutor supports digital art students, the college keeps a free software list, and an ACM SIGGRAPH student chapter, tabletop game, eSports and Smash Bros clubs fill out the extracurriculars.
Private tuition does not depend on residency, so Pennsylvanians and out-of-state students both face published tuition of $30,250. School-wide net price for aided first-years is $30,437 against a $52,230 cost of attendance. The campus is in a city setting in Lancaster, and about 9 students a year graduate from the program. Across the college, 57% of students complete within eight years, 99% of applicants are admitted, and earnings ten years after enrollment average $33,301 across all majors.
Animation bachelor's programs in Pennsylvania, scored the same way and listed in score order. Completion and net price are school-wide IPEDS figures; grads a year is the program's 2022-2024 average.
Associate and Graduate Game Programs in Pennsylvania
Programs reported to IPEDS, with graduates per year averaged 2022 to 2024. Associate and graduate programs aren't in the bachelor's ranking, so they carry no score here.
Pennsylvania pays close to the national median for design and a little less for programming. Game programmers are counted among 55,920 software developers, whose $126,550 median sits $9,430 below the national median. Designers in the web and digital interface group earn $104,160, just $160 above the national median.
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$60,730
$47,670–$80,480$48k–$80k$47,670 to $80,480
8,150
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$89,180
$76,230–$109,740$76k–$110k$76,230 to $109,740
3,120
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$97,450
$76,670–$113,610$77k–$114k$76,670 to $113,610
1,250
$114,850
Annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025. The middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
Pay in Pennsylvania's Largest Metro Areas
Metro area
Software developers
Web and digital interface designers
Special effects artists and animators
Price level
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$133,040
$104,840
$76,770
102.6
Pittsburgh, PA
$124,500
$85,900
$69,300
94.7
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
$122,930
$84,230
Not published
100
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.
Computer programmers earn $89,180, $11,210 below. Graphic designers earn $60,730, $2,230 below, and art directors earn $97,450, $17,400 below. The animation group has 300 jobs at a $71,760 median, $30,270 below the national median. First jobs in QA testing, junior design, art and UI roles, or junior programming pay less than these medians.
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington is the high-pay metro: software developers earn $133,040, web and digital interface designers $104,840 and animators $76,770. Pittsburgh pays software developers $124,500, web and digital interface designers $85,900 and animators $69,300. Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton pays software developers $122,930 and computer programmers $93,510 but publishes no animator wage.
Pennsylvania scores 97.6 on the BEA price scale, about 2.4% under the national average. Pittsburgh is 94.7, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton is 100, and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington is 102.6. That mix of a mid-priced state and mid-range pay leaves most graduates comparing salary against rent in the specific metro they plan to live in.
About 55,920 people work as software developers in Pennsylvania. Pay for web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, in Pennsylvania sits close to the national median: $104,160 against $104,000. BEA's index puts prices in Pennsylvania near the U.S. average, at 97.6.
The game design salary pages explain what each occupation covers and how game studios fit inside it.
Cost in Pennsylvania
Paying for School in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has 39 public four-year colleges. Tuition runs $13,068 for residents and $22,471 for outsiders, which costs outsiders $9,403 extra. For in-state students getting aid, the net price averages $19,593. At the public game schools, residents pay $11,583 in tuition on average and nonresidents pay $17,890, a gap of $6,307.
Public colleges in PA
Figure
Public four-year colleges
39
Average in-state tuition
$13,068
Average out-of-state tuition
$22,471
Average net price, aided in-state students
$19,593
Means across Pennsylvania's public four-year degree-granting colleges that offer undergraduate study: tuition from IPEDS for 2023-24 (38 colleges reporting), net price for 2022-23 (38 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 $19,593 on average across 39, against $13,240 in the median state.
The Pennsylvania State Grant, from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, is need-based. SREB says Pennsylvania residents aren't eligible for the Academic Common Market, so there's no regional exchange to lean on. Game and animation bachelor schools net a median of $25,477 here.
State Aid in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's main need program for undergraduates is the Pennsylvania State Grant, run by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency. In its own words: "The Pennsylvania State Grant is the largest grant program in the state." Fill out the FAFSA early, since many state programs award money until it runs out.
Tuition Exchanges
SREB’s FAQ says residents of its affiliates, Pennsylvania among them, "are not eligible to participate in" the Academic Common Market.
Choosing
How to Choose a Game Design Program in Pennsylvania
Price separates these schools more than rank does. Harrisburg University of Science and Technology costs $14,882 net, Albright College $22,116, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania $21,856 and Pennsylvania College of Technology $24,650, while Pennsylvania College of Art and Design costs $30,437. That low Harrisburg price comes with a 35% completion rate, so ask about graduation outcomes.
The public schools suit different goals. Pennsylvania College of Technology is simulation and Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is game programming, so programmers have a public in-state route. Art-first students are left with private game design programs such as Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, which nets $30,437 and graduates nine a year, or Albright College, which nets $22,116.
Outside Pennsylvania, New York has eight bachelor's programs and Ohio has five, with Delaware and Maryland at two each. Residents aren't eligible for the Academic Common Market, so crossing the border means out-of-state rates at public schools. Check net price before you assume a neighbor is better.
Neighboring States
Neighboring stateNew York8 ranked game bachelor's · 29 programs in allView the New York guide ›
Neighboring stateOhio5 ranked game bachelor's · 11 programs in allView the Ohio guide ›
Neighboring stateDelaware2 ranked game bachelor's · 3 programs in allView the Delaware guide ›
Neighboring stateMaryland2 ranked game bachelor's · 7 programs in allView the Maryland guide ›
Neighboring stateNew Jersey1 ranked game bachelor's · 14 programs in allView the New Jersey guide ›
Neighboring stateWest Virginia1 ranked game bachelor's · 1 programs in allView the West Virginia guide ›
City guides
Cities in Pennsylvania
4 cities in Pennsylvania have their own guides, ranking every program inside the metro and within 50 miles of the city center, with distances, metro pay and nearby public college costs.
Philadelphia, PA10 programs within 50 miles · 5 ranked game bachelor'sView the Philadelphia guide ›
Reading, PA10 programs within 50 miles · 5 ranked game bachelor'sView the Reading guide ›
York, PA7 programs within 50 miles · 3 ranked game bachelor'sView the York guide ›
Pittsburgh, PA2 programs within 50 miles · 0 ranked game bachelor'sView the Pittsburgh guide ›
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is the top-ranked game design school in Pennsylvania, 27 of 89 in our national ranking, followed by Albright College at 37. It finishes 35% of its students and has an average net price of $14,882 for aided first-year students, both school-wide IPEDS figures, and the program graduates about 20 students a year. It is also the lowest-priced of the 5 ranked here. See all 5 ranked Pennsylvania programs in the state ranking.
Which Pennsylvania School Has the Lowest Net Price?
The lowest-priced ranked option in Pennsylvania is Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, at an average net price of $14,882 a year for aided first-year students. The catch is completion: 35% 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 Pennsylvania averages $13,068, if a related program at home fits. See paying for school in Pennsylvania.
Can I Get In-State Tuition Outside Pennsylvania?
Not through a regional exchange: Pennsylvania isn't in one for bachelor's students, so out-of-state public colleges charge their nonresident rate. 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 Pennsylvania's own public colleges averages $22,471 against $13,068 in state. See paying for school in Pennsylvania.
Is Pennsylvania Expensive to Live In?
Pennsylvania is cheaper than average to live in: overall prices run at 97.6 on BEA's Regional Price Parities, where the U.S. average is 100, and housing at 85.1. Housing pulls the cost down most, at 85.1 on BEA's housing index against 100 nationally. Public colleges cost more here than in most states, with aided in-state students paying $19,593 on average across 39, against $13,240 in the median state. The city guides show local rent and room and board. See what game jobs pay in Pennsylvania.
How Much More Do Out-of-State Students Pay in Pennsylvania?
Out-of-state students pay about $9,403 more a year in tuition at Pennsylvania's public four-year colleges, where in-state tuition averages $13,068 against $22,471 for nonresidents (IPEDS 2023-24). After grants, aided in-state students pay an average net price of $19,593. Pennsylvania isn't in a regional tuition exchange for bachelor's students, so public colleges elsewhere charge you their out-of-state rate. See paying for school in Pennsylvania.
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.
