Utah is one of the strongest places in the country to look at game design schools in Utah, because two public universities rank in the national top ten. University of Utah is 4 of 89 and Utah Valley University is 19 of 89, at net prices of $13,341 and $8,650. Neumont College of Computer Science is the private option, and Brigham Young University has a top-scoring animation bachelor's. Utah also belongs to the Western Undergraduate Exchange, which helps if you're coming from a neighboring state.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
3Game Design Bachelor's Programs Ranked for 2027top score: University of UtahOur ranking
5Game-Related Programs in the State4 bachelor's, 1 associate, 0 graduateIPEDS
$14.0kMedian Net Pricebachelor's schools here, aided first-year studentsIPEDS
University of Utah leads at 88.0.3 ranked programs in Utah, scored on completion, net price and size. It finishes 70% of its students and has a $13,341 net price. Utah Valley University is next at 74.7.The Ranking ›
Software developers earn $128,810 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 31,940 people work as software developers in Utah. Pay for web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, in Utah sits close to the national median: $99,990 against $104,000. BEA's index puts prices in Utah near the U.S. average, at 98.9.Pay ›
Living costs sit near the U.S. average.BEA's index puts prices in Utah near the U.S. average, at 98.9.Prices ›
Public in-state tuition averages $6,014.The Opportunity Scholarship is Utah's main state grant. Utah's public four-year colleges are a good deal: aided in-state students pay $12,073 on average across 7, under the $13,240 median state. Out of state, tuition averages $19,392.Costs ›
City guides: Salt Lake City.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 ›
Utah in brief
Key Facts About Studying Game Design in Utah
Utah has three ranked game bachelor's programs, two public and one private, and they cover each field once. University of Utah files under game programming, Utah Valley University under game design, and Neumont College of Computer Science under simulation. Five colleges in the state have a game-related program, and there is one associate program but no graduate programs.
University of Utah scores 88.0, graduates 151 students a year and completes 70% of its students, the strongest numbers in the state. Utah Valley University scores 74.7 and graduates 24 students a year. Neumont College of Computer Science ranks 49 of 89 and graduates 30. Brigham Young University is not in the ranked set, but its animation bachelor's earns 89.8 with a $14,643 net price.
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 Utah
The 3 Best Game Design Schools in Utah for 2027
University of Utah leads, ranked 4 of 89 in the national game design ranking, with a completion rate of 70% and an average net price of $13,341. 2 of the 3 are public. The best game design schools ranking shows how these compare with every school in the country.
Each ranked program in Utah, 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.
Salt Lake City, UT · Public · Game programming program
88.0
#4 of 89 nationally
Highest completion in Utah
Largest program in Utah
Net price earns full cost points
Technical track: game programming
Public
Among Utah options, this is the in-state games degree with the biggest cohort. Residents pay a published tuition of $8,461, compared with $29,701 for non-residents, and the net price for aided first-years is $13,341 school-wide. The campus is in Salt Lake City, with 36,894 students.
The degree is a B.S. in Games with a structured sequence: Survey of Games, Digital Content Creation, programming, then game development courses, an ethics course and a capstone. Students must also take at least two allied areas for 12 hours, drawing on art, film, anthropology or business. About 151 students graduate each year, and 70% of entering students across the university complete within eight years. Utah residents also benefit from the games division having its own advisors, tutoring and scholarships listed for current students.
For Utah residents this is a home-state bargain: published tuition is $5,818 before aid, and the school-wide net price for aided first-years is $8,650, the lowest in Utah. Orem is a city, and the university enrolls 46,807 students.
The Bachelor of Science in Animation and Game Development prepares students for animation, visual effects, game development and XR careers. After a first-year foundation, they apply by portfolio to a track in 2D animation, 3D animation and VFX, or game and XR development. About 24 students graduate each year, and 46% of students across the university complete within eight years.
General education makes up 30 of the 120 credits, covering writing, quantitative reasoning and history or civics. Earnings for graduates of all majors across the university are $55,486 ten years after enrolling.
Salt Lake City, UT · Private for-profit · Simulation program
58.8
#49 of 89 nationally
Technical track: simulation
Private
In Utah, this private for-profit college in Salt Lake City charges $25,500 in tuition, the same for residents and newcomers, so there is no in-state discount to chase. School-wide net price after aid is $28,592 for aided first-years, and the campus is urban.
The B.S. in Software & Game Development appeals to students who want game development skills that transfer to any software job. The college is small, with 476 students, an 87% admit rate and a 973 SAT midpoint. Across the college, 52% of entering students complete within eight years, and all-major graduates earn $97,827 a decade out. About 30 students finish the program each year. Students spend up to 20 hours a week on enterprise projects, building deployable games in a real project environment with a real company.
Animation bachelor's programs in Utah, 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.
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.
Utah is a programmer's state. Computer programmers earn a median of $104,890, which beats the national median by $4,500. Software developers earn $128,810 across 31,940 jobs, a gap of $7,170 from the national median. Interface designers, where game designers are counted, earn $99,990 with 1,060 jobs, and animators and effects artists earn $88,210 with 320 jobs.
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$62,310
$49,960–$79,000$50k–$79k$49,960 to $79,000
2,720
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$104,890
$82,390–$127,180$82k–$127k$82,390 to $127,180
690
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$106,500
$75,900–$132,130$76k–$132k$75,900 to $132,130
290
$114,850
Annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025. The middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
Pay in Utah's Largest Metro Areas
Metro area
Software developers
Web and digital interface designers
Special effects artists and animators
Price level
Salt Lake City-Murray
$129,600
$107,320
$101,730
100.9
Provo-Orem-Lehi
$131,210
$107,210
$51,660May 2024
98.2
Ogden
$109,880
$92,800
$65,540May 2024
100.3
Median annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025, for the state's largest metropolitan areas by total employment, all in Utah. Price level is BEA's Regional Price Parity for 2024, where the U.S. average is 100. Figures tagged May 2024 are from that earlier BLS release, because BLS didn't publish one for that metro area in the current release.
Art roles are smaller. Art directors earn $106,500 but only 290 are employed, and graphic designers earn $62,310 across 2,720 jobs, just $650 under the national figure. If you want an art-side career, plan for a small market and a portfolio that stands out.
Salt Lake City-Murray is the metro to aim for. Developers earn $129,600, interface designers $107,320, animators $101,730, programmers $111,290 and art directors $109,470. Provo-Orem-Lehi pays developers a bit more at $131,210, which matters since Utah Valley University sits in Orem. Ogden pays developers $109,880. BLS publishes no animator wage for Provo-Orem-Lehi or Ogden.
Entry-level work usually starts in QA, junior design or junior programming. Prices in Utah run about 1.1% below the national average (a price level of 98.9), and Salt Lake City-Murray sits at 100.9, so don't expect rent to offset the pay much.
About 31,940 people work as software developers in Utah. Pay for web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, in Utah sits close to the national median: $99,990 against $104,000. BEA's index puts prices in Utah near the U.S. average, at 98.9.
The game design salary pages explain what each occupation covers and how game studios fit inside it.
Cost in Utah
Paying for School in Utah
Utah has seven public four-year colleges. Residents average $6,014 in tuition, nonresidents average $19,392, and the premium is $13,378. In-state students average $12,073 after aid. Restricted to schools with a game or animation bachelor's, resident tuition is $7,140 and out-of-state is $23,751, a gap of $16,611.
Public colleges in UT
Figure
Public four-year colleges
7
Average in-state tuition
$6,014
Average out-of-state tuition
$19,392
Average net price, aided in-state students
$12,073
Means across Utah's public four-year degree-granting colleges that offer undergraduate study: tuition from IPEDS for 2023-24 (7 colleges reporting), net price for 2022-23 (7 reporting). Net price is what first-year students with grant aid paid after grants.
Utah's public four-year colleges are a good deal: aided in-state students pay $12,073 on average across 7, under the $13,240 median state.
The Opportunity Scholarship, a merit award from the Utah System of Higher Education, is where to start on state aid. Utah is also a Western Undergraduate Exchange member, and Arizona, Colorado and Idaho have public game programs nearby. If you live in one of those states, WUE rates can bring a Utah program closer to resident pricing, and the same applies in reverse for Utahns looking east or south.
State Aid in Utah
Utah's main merit program for undergraduates is the Opportunity Scholarship, run by the Utah System of Higher Education. In its own words: "The Opportunity Scholarship encourages students to complete advanced courses while in high school to prepare academically for college." Fill out the FAFSA early, since many state programs award money until it runs out.
Tuition Exchanges
Utah 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."
Two public schools in the top ten make this an unusual decision. University of Utah is the programming pick, with the highest score and the largest graduating class at 151. Utah Valley University is the design pick, and at $8,650 net it is also the cheapest ranked option. If your goal is designing systems and levels, start with Orem. If you want to write engine and gameplay code, start with the University of Utah campus in the capital.
Neumont College of Computer Science is a private for-profit that costs $28,592 after aid, more than double Utah Valley University. Only pick it if you want its accelerated, technology-heavy approach and have checked the price. Brigham Young University adds a strong animation route at $14,643, for students who lean toward art.
The in-state gap is big. A Utah resident saves $16,611 in tuition at the public game and animation schools, so if you're an out-of-state student, check WUE eligibility before you apply. The completion rates (70% at University of Utah, 46% at Utah Valley University) are school-wide, so ask each department how many of its majors finish.
Neighboring States
Neighboring stateArizona3 ranked game bachelor's · 16 programs in allView the Arizona guide ›
Neighboring stateColorado3 ranked game bachelor's · 10 programs in allView the Colorado guide ›
Neighboring stateIdaho1 ranked game bachelor's · 2 programs in allView the Idaho guide ›
Neighboring stateNevadaNo programs; the guide lists the nearestView the Nevada guide ›
Neighboring stateNew Mexico4 related programs, no game bachelor'sView the New Mexico guide ›
Neighboring stateWyomingNo programs; the guide lists the nearestView the Wyoming guide ›
City guides
Cities in Utah
One city in Utah has its own guide, ranking every program inside the metro and within 50 miles of the city center, with distances, metro pay and nearby public college costs.
Salt Lake City, UT5 programs within 50 miles · 3 ranked game bachelor'sView the Salt Lake City guide ›
University of Utah is the top-ranked game design school in Utah, 4 of 89 in our national ranking, followed by Utah Valley University at 19. It finishes 70% of its students and has an average net price of $13,341 for aided first-year students, both school-wide IPEDS figures, and the program graduates about 151 students a year. The cheapest ranked option is Utah Valley University at $8,650, though it finishes 46% of students. Out-of-state students pay $21,240 more a year in published tuition there. See all 3 ranked Utah programs in the state ranking.
What Do Utah Game Developers Earn?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $128,810 in Utah, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). Pay for web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, in Utah sits close to the national median: $99,990 against $104,000. BEA's index puts prices in Utah near the U.S. average, at 98.9. About 31,940 people work as software developers in Utah. See what game jobs pay in Utah.
Which Utah School Costs the Least for Game Design?
The lowest-priced ranked option in Utah is Utah Valley University, at an average net price of $8,650 a year for aided first-year students. The catch is completion: 46% 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 Utah averages $6,014, if a related program at home fits. See paying for school in Utah.
Can I Get a Discount at Utah Schools From Another State?
Yes, through the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE): Utah 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 Utah's own public colleges averages $19,392 against $6,014 in state. See paying for school in Utah.
How Much More Do Out-of-State Students Pay in Utah?
Out-of-state students pay about $13,378 more a year in tuition at Utah's public four-year colleges, where in-state tuition averages $6,014 against $19,392 for nonresidents (IPEDS 2023-24). After grants, aided in-state students pay an average net price of $12,073. Utah 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 Utah.
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.
