Tennessee has one ranked bachelor's program, so game design schools in Tennessee come down to a single small private campus plus two public animation schools. Freed-Hardeman University (Henderson) is 30 of 89 nationally at $18,267 after aid. Middle Tennessee State University, plus East Tennessee State University, offer animation bachelor's degrees at a lower price. The Academic Common Market opens up Arkansas and Georgia programs as well.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
1Game Design Bachelor's Ranked for 2027top score: Freed-Hardeman UniversityOur ranking
3Game-Related Programs in the State3 bachelor's, 0 associate, 0 graduateIPEDS
$16.0kMedian Net Pricebachelor's schools here, aided first-year studentsIPEDS
Freed-Hardeman University leads at 67.4.It is the only ranked program in Tennessee, scored on completion, net price and size. It finishes 59% of its students and has a $18,267 net price.The Ranking ›
Software developers earn $122,430 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 19,030 people work as software developers in Tennessee. In Tennessee, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $63,510, which is 39% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in Tennessee: BEA puts prices 8.1% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further.Pay ›
Living costs run below the U.S. average.Living costs work in your favor in Tennessee: BEA puts prices 8.1% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further.Prices ›
Public in-state tuition averages $8,520.The Tennessee HOPE Scholarship is Tennessee's main state grant. Public colleges cost more here than in most states, with aided in-state students paying $14,292 on average across 12, against $13,240 in the median state. Out of state, tuition averages $17,710.Costs ›
Tennessee in brief
Key Facts About Studying Game Design in Tennessee
Tennessee has three colleges with game-related programs and exactly one ranked game design bachelor's. Freed-Hardeman University (Henderson) is a private nonprofit that files its program under game design, scores 67.4 and graduates five students a year. Its completion rate is 59%, and its national rank is 30 of 89. There are no ranked public game programs and none in game programming or simulation.
The public side is animation. Middle Tennessee State University scores 78.1 with a net price of $12,700, and East Tennessee State University scores 80.9 at $16,033. Neither is a game design degree, so read their course lists before you count on them for design work. Tennessee has no associate or graduate programs in the data.
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 Tennessee
The Game Design School in Tennessee for 2027
Freed-Hardeman University leads, ranked 30 of 89 in the national game design ranking, with a completion rate of 59% and an average net price of $18,267. None of them is a public university. The best game design schools ranking shows how these compare with every school in the country.
The program: 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.
Henderson, TN · Private nonprofit · Game design program
67.4
#30 of 89 nationally
Private
In Tennessee, Freed-Hardeman offers a Christian-university route into interactive design and development. The developer emphasis blends creative design with technical development, with hands-on projects and a capstone, and faith integration is listed among the program highlights. Students can customize their electives.
The campus is in the small town of Henderson, one of the few town campuses among the 89 ranked programs. As a private university, it charges the same $25,620 tuition to everyone, and Tennessee residents get no separate rate. Aided first-years pay a net price of $18,267 across the university. About 5 students graduate from the program each year, and the school-wide completion rate is 59%. Ten-year earnings average $47,485 across all majors. The program sits in the Department of Mathematics, Engineering and Computer Science.
Animation bachelor's programs in Tennessee, 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.
Tennessee's pay is strongest for programmers and weakest for interface design. Software developers, the group that holds game programmers, earn a state median of $122,430, trailing the national median by $13,550. About 19,030 people hold that job here. Interface designers, the group that counts game designers, earn $63,510, sitting $40,490 under the national figure.
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$57,270
$47,510–$75,170$48k–$75k$47,510 to $75,170
3,880
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$99,270May 2024
$66,520–$215,580$67k–$216k$66,520 to $215,580, May 2024May 2024
920May 2025
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$89,860
$71,590–$125,590$72k–$126k$71,590 to $125,590
930
$114,850
Annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025. The middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile. Figures tagged May 2024 are from that earlier BLS release, because BLS didn't publish one for Tennessee in the current release.
Pay in Tennessee's Largest Metro Areas
Metro area
Software developers
Web and digital interface designers
Special effects artists and animators
Price level
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
$126,610
$63,510
$58,020May 2023
96.3
Memphis, TN-MS-AR
$125,580
$62,460
Not published
92.2
Knoxville, TN
$121,750
$60,720
Not published
92.6
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.
Animators and effects artists earn $83,080 in Tennessee, $18,950 under the national figure, though only 90 are employed. Art directors earn $89,860 and graphic designers earn $57,270. BLS publishes no state median for computer programmers, even though 920 are employed, so don't expect a number for that role.
Nashville is the top metro for most roles. Software developers there earn $126,610, graphic designers $60,370 and art directors $101,470. Memphis pays developers $125,580 and Knoxville pays $121,750. Programmer figures exist only for Memphis at $73,970 and Knoxville at $66,760.
Graduates typically land first as QA testers, junior designers, UI artists or junior programmers. Living costs help, because Tennessee prices run about 8.1% below the national average (a price level of 91.9), with Nashville at 96.3, Memphis at 92.2 and Knoxville at 92.6. A developer salary in Memphis goes a long way.
About 19,030 people work as software developers in Tennessee. In Tennessee, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $63,510, which is 39% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in Tennessee: BEA puts prices 8.1% 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 Tennessee
Paying for School in Tennessee
Tennessee's 12 public four-year colleges charge $8,520 in-state on average and $17,710 out-of-state, a premium of $9,190. Net price after aid for in-state students averages $14,292. Among the schools that offer game or animation bachelor's degrees, resident tuition averages $8,162, out-of-state averages $20,571, and the gap is $12,409.
Public colleges in TN
Figure
Public four-year colleges
12
Average in-state tuition
$8,520
Average out-of-state tuition
$17,710
Average net price, aided in-state students
$14,292
Means across Tennessee's public four-year degree-granting colleges that offer undergraduate study: tuition from IPEDS for 2023-24 (11 colleges reporting), net price for 2022-23 (10 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 $14,292 on average across 12, against $13,240 in the median state.
The Tennessee HOPE Scholarship, a merit award run by the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation, is the state aid to ask about. The Academic Common Market lists Arkansas and Georgia as members with public game programs nearby. That matters if you want a design degree and the in-state options don't fit, since approved programs can be billed at in-state rates.
State Aid in Tennessee
Tennessee's main merit program for undergraduates is the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship, run by the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation. In its own words: "Up to $2,250 per full-time enrollment semester as a freshman and sophomore; then up to $2,850 per full-time enrollment semester as a junior and senior" Fill out the FAFSA early, since many state programs award money until it runs out.
Tuition Exchanges
Tennessee 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."
Tennessee has no public school with a ranked game design degree, so the split is clear. Freed-Hardeman University is the only game design bachelor's, and its $18,267 net price sits above what Middle Tennessee State University charges at $12,700. If you want design courses in a small cohort, pick Freed-Hardeman. If you want the cheapest animation path, the public schools win on price.
Think about direction. With one design program, one animation pair and nothing in programming or simulation, the state leans toward art. For programming, look at a computer science degree instead, because software developers are by far the biggest job group in the state at 19,030. Georgia's public programs through the Academic Common Market are the nearest programming-heavy alternative.
Be honest about the pay gap. Interface design pays $63,510 here, so a design degree pays back slowly unless you move toward programming or technical art. Keep in mind that the completion rate and net price are school-wide, not the program's own.
Neighboring States
Neighboring stateMissouri3 ranked game bachelor's · 8 programs in allView the Missouri guide ›
Neighboring stateNorth Carolina3 ranked game bachelor's · 14 programs in allView the North Carolina guide ›
Neighboring stateArkansas2 ranked game bachelor's · 2 programs in allView the Arkansas guide ›
Neighboring stateGeorgia2 ranked game bachelor's · 6 programs in allView the Georgia guide ›
Neighboring stateAlabama1 ranked game bachelor's · 2 programs in allView the Alabama guide ›
Neighboring stateVirginia1 ranked game bachelor's · 4 programs in allView the Virginia guide ›
Neighboring stateKentucky1 related programs, no game bachelor'sView the Kentucky guide ›
Neighboring stateMississippi2 related programs, no game bachelor'sView the Mississippi guide ›
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Are There Game Design Schools in Tennessee?
Freed-Hardeman University is the top-ranked game design school in Tennessee, 30 of 89 in our national ranking. It finishes 59% of its students and has an average net price of $18,267 for aided first-year students, both school-wide IPEDS figures, and the program graduates about 5 students a year. It's the only ranked game bachelor's in Tennessee, out of 3 game-related programs in the state at every level. See its full profile in the state ranking.
What Is a Typical Game Developer Salary in Tennessee?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $122,430 in Tennessee, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). In Tennessee, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $63,510, which is 39% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in Tennessee: BEA puts prices 8.1% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further. About 19,030 people work as software developers in Tennessee. See what game jobs pay in Tennessee.
What Is the Cheapest Game-Related Program in Tennessee?
The lowest-priced ranked option in Tennessee is Freed-Hardeman University, at an average net price of $18,267 a year for aided first-year students. It doesn't trade completion for price: 59% of its students finish, above the 59% median among ranked programs. Public in-state tuition in Tennessee averages $8,520, if a related program at home fits. See paying for school in Tennessee.
Can I Get In-State Tuition for a Game Program in Another State?
Yes, through the Academic Common Market (ACM): Tennessee 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 Tennessee's own public colleges averages $17,710 against $8,520 in state. See paying for school in Tennessee.
How Much More Do Out-of-State Students Pay in Tennessee?
Out-of-state students pay about $9,190 more a year in tuition at Tennessee's public four-year colleges, where in-state tuition averages $8,520 against $17,710 for nonresidents (IPEDS 2023-24). After grants, aided in-state students pay an average net price of $14,292. Tennessee 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 paying for school in Tennessee.
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.
