Game design schools in St. Louis come down to two private campuses, and that's the whole ranked list within 50 miles. Lindenwood University, 17 miles out in Saint Charles, ranks 23 of 89 for game design at a school-wide net price of $18,698. Webster University, 6 miles from the center, ranks 44 of 89. Neither has a public rival nearby, so your decision is mostly about price, cohort size and how much art you want.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
4Game Programs Within 25 Milesgame design, programming, simulation and animation, all levelsIPEDS locations
4Game Programs Within 50 Milesat 2 collegesIPEDS locations
2Ranked Game Design Bachelor's Programs Nearbyranked, within 50 miles; plus 1 animationOur ranking
Lindenwood University leads the metro at 70.5.3 ranked programs sit inside the St. Louis metro. Price is its strength: aided first-year students pay $18,698, $7,452 under the ranking's median, though 58% completion trails the 59% median.The Ranking ›
Software developers earn $129,030 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. Software development is a smaller share of jobs in the metro than nationally (location quotient 0.67), with about 9,820 people in the occupation. In St. Louis, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $74,780, which is 28% under the national median of $104,000.Pay ›
88 software and game publishers in the metro.Concentration 0.32, where 1.00 matches the U.S. Those publishers employ 2,968 people. The metro also has 452 custom programming studios and 71 film, video and animation production companies.Employers ›
Every program nearby is at a private college.There's no in-state rate to qualify for within 50 miles.Costs ›
A one-bedroom rents for $930 a month.The U.S. median one-bedroom is $1,301. Rent helps here, at a $1,154 monthly median in the St. Louis metro, $333 under the national figure. The lowest on-campus room and board nearby is $10,800 a year at Lindenwood University.Living Costs ›
Ranked in St. Louis
The Best Game Design Schools in St. Louis, MO for 2027
Lindenwood University is the stronger of the two on our scoring, with 70.5 against 59.6 for Webster University. It graduates 13 game design students a year and lists tuition of $19,900. The school-wide completion rate is 58%, and a net price of $18,698 is well under what Webster charges.
Webster University appears twice, once for game design (44 of 89, 17 graduates a year) and once for animation (43 of 82, 20 a year). Tuition is $31,450 and the net price is $27,695, with the same 58% completion rate. Having both programs under one roof matters if you haven't decided whether you want to design systems or make assets.
Game design, game programming, simulation and animation programs are all scored the same way, on completion, net price and program size. On each card, completion is the school's 8-year award rate and net price its average for aided first-year students, both from IPEDS; grads a year is the program's own average, 2022 to 2024. Miles are straight-line from central St. Louis.
Saint Charles, MO · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 17 miles
70.5
#23 of 89 nationally
17 miles from St. Louis
Lowest net price in St. Louis
Highest completion in St. Louis
Private
Lindenwood's campus in Saint Charles is 17 miles from St. Louis, which makes the Bachelor of Arts in Game Design a practical choice for a student who wants to stay in the metro. The setting is a city, and the blended format mixes campus time with flexibility.
Among the programs near St. Louis it carries the lowest net price, $18,698 for aided first-years school-wide, and the highest school-wide completion rate, 58% within eight years. The degree itself covers game production, aesthetics, usability, storytelling and character development, with project and portfolio courses running through it. About 13 students graduate each year, and the university admits 57% of applicants.
Local students can attend in a blended format and keep a St. Louis address, and the campus is a city setting rather than a rural one. Graduates of all majors earn $53,278 ten years after enrolling, a figure that covers the whole university.
Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit · Animation program · 6 miles
60.4
#43 of 82 in animation
6 miles from St. Louis
Largest program in St. Louis
Animation
Private
Webster University's B.A. in Animation is a four-year, in-person, STEM-designated degree offered in the School of Communications, on a suburban campus about 6 miles from St. Louis. It builds a foundation in hand-drawn and computer animation, then widens into 2D and 3D character animation, game art, comics, concept art and character design. Students combine theory and practice to make animated work with a global viewpoint, learning from practitioner faculty, and the major points toward both independent and commercial animation. The school lists a Game Design and Development degree and an Interactive Digital Media degree alongside animation, so students can cross over into those courses.
Tuition is $31,450 for all students, and aided first-years pay a net price of $27,695. About 20 students complete the major each year. Across the university, 8,260 students are enrolled, 86% of applicants are admitted and 58% finish within eight years, and graduates across all majors earn $50,876 ten years out.
Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit · Game design program · 6 miles
59.7
#44 of 89 nationally
6 miles from St. Louis
Private
Six miles separate Webster University from St. Louis, so a city resident can commute to a suburban campus or move on site. The Games Design and Development B.A. is housed in the School of Communications, where students share facilities with film and audio majors and work in teams that mirror industry practice.
Students learn Unity and Unreal Engine and build projects with plenty of room to make things on their own. School-wide, the net price for aided first-year students is $27,695 against a published tuition of $31,450. About 17 students a year graduate from the program, and the university reports $50,876 in earnings ten years after entry across all majors.
The campus is suburban, and the university enrolls 8,260 students. Cost of attendance before aid is $53,626, and 58% of entering students complete within eight years.
The rest of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro and the nearby areas are covered on the Missouri and Illinois pages.
StateMissouri3 ranked game bachelor's · 8 programs in allView the Missouri guide ›
Also in the metroIllinois1 ranked game bachelor's · 12 programs in allView the Illinois guide ›
More ways in
Other Game Programs in St. Louis
One more program inside the St. Louis metro offers a way into game work without a ranked bachelor's. These associate, graduate and certificate programs aren't in the bachelor's ranking, so they carry no score. Grads a year is the program's IPEDS average, 2022 to 2024, and admission is the college's fall 2024 rate (College Scorecard).
A St. Louis game salary is near the national middle for programmers and well below it for designers. Software developers (the title game programmers and engine builders fall under) have a metro median of $129,030, a gap of $6,950 to the national median, with the Missouri median $2,910 lower. About 9,820 people work in that category here.
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$61,000
$48,620–$76,560$49k–$77k$48,620 to $76,560
2,010
$56,750
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$96,920
$80,110–$117,110$80k–$117k$80,110 to $117,110
660
$90,420
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$101,480
$83,680–$128,300$84k–$128k$83,680 to $128,300
420
$100,940
$114,850
Annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025, for the St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan area. The middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
The art side is thinner. Web and digital interface designers, covering game and UI designers, earn $74,780, far behind the national figure by $29,220, yet $3,810 ahead of the state. Special effects artists and animators are the rare local figure, with a median of $75,820 and about 50 employed, $26,210 short of the national figure. Computer programmers earn $96,920, graphic designers $61,000 and art directors $101,480.
Lower prices help. The metro price level is 95.1, meaning prices below the national average of 100, and housing sits at 79. Housing is the cheaper part of the budget.
Software development is a smaller share of jobs in the St. Louis metro than nationally (location quotient 0.67), with about 9,820 people in the occupation. In St. Louis, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $74,780, which is 28% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in the St. Louis metro: BEA puts prices 4.9% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further.
St. Louis is a modest market for game work. Custom programming studios, the contract and co-development shops, are the closest to the national norm at 96% of the national concentration, spread over 452 businesses and 8,770 employees. Graphic design firms edge above it at 1.2 times the national concentration.
Industry
What it covers
Businesses
Employees
Concentration
Software and game publishers
Software publishers (game publishers and studios are filed here)
88
2,968
0.32
Custom programming studios
Custom computer programming services (contract and co-development studios)
452
8,770
0.96
Film, video and animation production
Motion picture and video production (animation and VFX studios)
71
558
0.39
Graphic design firms
Graphic design services
127
529
1.19
Establishments and March payroll employees in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro, County Business Patterns 2023. Concentration is the industry's share of metro employees divided by its share nationally: 1.00 matches the U.S., 2.00 is twice as concentrated.
Census doesn't file game studios under their own heading. Most land in software publishers, and here that category is at 32% of the national concentration, made up of 88 businesses and 2,968 employees. Animation and video production sits at 39%. At those levels, a studio-heavy career probably means relocating.
Occupation numbers tell the same story. Graphic designers are more common than nationally, with a location quotient of 1.18. Computer programmers (0.83), art directors (0.92), software developers (0.67) and web and digital interface designers (0.66) are all below the national mix, and special effects artists and animators are rare at 0.28. If you want an animation-heavy career, expect to work remotely or move.
How Common Game-Adjacent Jobs Are in St. Louis
Occupation
Jobs per 1,000
Location quotient
Software developers
7.32
0.67
Web and digital interface designers
0.48
0.66
Special effects artists and animators
0.04
0.28
Graphic designers
1.50
1.18
Computer programmers
0.49
0.83
Art directors
0.32
0.92
BLS OEWS May 2025. Jobs per 1,000 of all metro jobs; a location quotient above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in the metro than nationally.
Talent pipeline
How Many Game Graduates St. Louis Produces
The two area schools graduate 57 game-related students a year, 49 of them at the bachelor's level, and both are inside the metro. Compared with 10,520 core jobs, metro graduates equal 0.5%. Webster University produces most of them, with 20 from its animation and interactive technology program and 17 from game and interactive media design. Lindenwood University adds 13 bachelor's graduates and 8 at the master's level.
The largest of them by graduates a year are the programs in the ranking and the other programs above, led by Webster University with about 20 a year.
A low ratio sounds like good news, but it needs context. Most of those core jobs are ordinary software and web roles, not game jobs, so the number overstates the openings for you. Graduates also move away for studio work. What you can take from it is that the local supply is small, and so is the local game industry it would join.
Cost near St. Louis
Paying for School in St. Louis
No public college within 50 miles has a ranked or listed game program, so there is no in-state versus out-of-state tuition comparison to make. The practical comparison is the two private schools, with a published tuition of $19,900 at Lindenwood University against $31,450 at Webster University. On a school-wide basis, net price is $18,698 and $27,695.
Missouri's state grant is Access Missouri, administered by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. The regional exchange is the Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP), which matters if you live across the river or want an out-of-state public campus. Ask each school whether the program you want is covered before you count on a reduced rate.
State Aid in Missouri
Missouri's main need program for undergraduates is the Access Missouri, run by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. In its own words: "Access Missouri is a need-based program designed to be simple to understand, provide predictable, portable awards, and increase access to your school of choice." The Missouri page covers state aid and public college costs in more detail.
Tuition Exchanges
Missouri 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"
State line
Studying Across the State Line From St. Louis
The St. Louis, MO-IL metro spans Missouri and Illinois, so a public college a short drive away can charge you nonresident tuition.
State
In-state tuition
Nonresident tuition
Gap
Missouri
$8,649
$18,073
$9,424
Illinois
$10,150
$15,646
$5,496
Average published undergraduate tuition at each state's public four-year colleges, 2023-24 (IPEDS IC).
No single regional tuition exchange covers all of these states, so expect the nonresident rate across the line unless a college offers its own discount.
Living costs
Living in St. Louis as a Student
Cost is St. Louis's real selling point. Median rent in the metro is $1,154 against $1,487 for the U.S., the $333 gap below the U.S. median is large. A one-bedroom is $930, so twelve months comes to $11,160, and a two-bedroom at $1,173 comes to $587 per person if you split it. Housing prices overall sit at a level of 79 where the national average is 100.
Monthly rent
St. Louis metro
U.S.
All rentals, median
$1,154
$1,487
One bedroom, median
$930
$1,301
Two bedrooms, median
$1,173
$1,490
Median gross rent (rent plus utilities the tenant pays), American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, tables B25064 and B25031.
On campus, Lindenwood University charges $10,800 for room and board and Webster University $12,820. Both colleges have housing, so you don't need to rent to attend either one. Webster's off-campus estimate is a little higher, at $13,200, and Lindenwood's is $16,200, so living in the dorm is the cheaper choice at Lindenwood.
Rent helps here, at a $1,154 monthly median in the St. Louis metro, $333 under the national figure.
Each college's own yearly estimates for a full-time undergraduate, 2023-24 (IPEDS IC). Off-campus is for a student not living with family.
With rent this low, a part-time job goes further toward your own place than it would at the U.S. median rent of $1,487.
Choosing
How to Choose a Game Design Program in St. Louis
Both ranked game programs here are game design programs, with no programming or simulation track, and a single animation program sits alongside them. For a coding-heavy career, plan to pair a game design degree with computer science classes or look at the strong software developer market, where there are 9,820 jobs. For art, Webster University's animation program is your local option.
With two private schools, the question is price against environment. Lindenwood University costs less, scores higher, and has the master's option if you stay on. Webster University costs more but sits inside the city and offers animation next to game design. The 58% completion rate is the same at both, so it doesn't separate them.
Commuting is easy at Webster University, 6 miles from the city center, and workable at Lindenwood University, 17 miles away. These are straight-line miles, so check the actual route from where you live. With housing at 79 on the price index, living at home or renting near either campus is a reasonable way to keep the bill down.
None of the 2 colleges on this page is open admission, and fall 2024 admission ran from 57% at Lindenwood University to 86% at Webster University. None requires SAT or ACT scores.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Which St. Louis Game Design Schools Are Best?
Lindenwood University is the top-ranked game design school in St. Louis, scoring 70.5 and ranked 23 of 89 nationally. Price is its strength: aided first-year students pay $18,698, $7,452 under the ranking's median, though 58% completion trails the 59% median. About 13 students a year graduate from it, a mid-sized program by the ranking's standards. Webster University is next at 60.4, one of 3 ranked programs in the metro. See the ranked programs.
What Does a St. Louis Game Job Pay?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $129,030 in the St. Louis metro, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). In the St. Louis metro, web and digital interface designers, where game designers are counted, earn $74,780, which is 28% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in the St. Louis metro: BEA puts prices 4.9% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further. See what game jobs pay in St. Louis.
How Far Are St. Louis Game Design Programs From Downtown?
3 ranked programs sit inside the St. Louis metro, and 1 associate, graduate or certificate program adds other ways in. Lindenwood University scores highest, at 70.5. The top program is 17 miles from central St. Louis, close enough to commute if housing nearby is out of reach. 4 game-related programs sit within 25 miles of central St. Louis and 4 within 50, counting every level. The rest of the metro and the nearby areas are on the Missouri and Illinois pages. See the ranked programs.
How Cheap Is Rent in St. Louis?
Median rent in the St. Louis metro was $1,154 a month in 2024, $333 below the U.S. median of $1,487 (Census ACS). A one-bedroom runs $930. On-campus room and board at nearby colleges starts at $10,800 a year at Lindenwood University, which bundles meals and avoids a lease. Housing is where St. Louis saves you money, at 79 on BEA's index against 100 nationally. See living in St. Louis as a student.
Is It Hard to Get Into Game Design Programs in St. Louis?
None of the 2 colleges on this page is open admission, and fall 2024 admission ran from 57% at Lindenwood University to 86% at Webster University. None requires SAT or ACT scores. With no open-admission college nearby, apply to more than one program. Each program card shows its college's admission rate where one is reported. See how to choose a program.
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.
