Among game design schools in Vermont, one program carries the whole state: Champlain College, a private nonprofit in Burlington that ranks 69 of 89 nationally. Its net price is $36,846, which is steep next to the $21,658 that aided in-state students average at Vermont's public colleges. Bennington College has an animation bachelor's at a similar price. New York has eight game bachelor's programs next door, and the regional Tuition Break may soften the cost of a public one in Massachusetts.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
1Game Design Bachelor's Ranked for 2027top score: Champlain CollegeOur ranking
3Game-Related Programs in the State3 bachelor's, 0 associate, 0 graduateIPEDS
$36.0kMedian Net Pricebachelor's schools here, aided first-year studentsIPEDS
Champlain College leads at 50.0.It is the only ranked program in Vermont, scored on completion, net price and size. It finishes 59% of its students and has a $36,846 net price.The Ranking ›
Software developers earn $125,280 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 1,740 people work as software developers in Vermont. BEA's index puts prices in Vermont near the U.S. average, at 98.Pay ›
Living costs sit near the U.S. average.BEA's index puts prices in Vermont near the U.S. average, at 98.Prices ›
Public in-state tuition averages $13,132.The Vermont Grant is Vermont's main state grant. Public colleges cost more here than in most states, with aided in-state students paying $21,658 on average across 3, against $13,240 in the median state. Out of state, tuition averages $30,636.Costs ›
Vermont in brief
Key Facts About Studying Game Design in Vermont
Vermont's game footprint is two colleges and three related programs in total. Champlain College is the only ranked bachelor's, a game design program, scoring 49.8, finishing 59% of its students and graduating 28 a year. That class size is why the state has a game design pipeline at all.
Nothing in Vermont is public, and nothing is ranked in programming or simulation. Bennington College offers an animation bachelor's rated 44.4 with a net price of $35,108. Across the state's game and animation bachelor's schools, the median net price is $35,977. Vermont has no associate or graduate programs in this field.
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 Vermont
The Game Design School in Vermont for 2027
Champlain College leads, ranked 69 of 89 in the national game design ranking, with a completion rate of 59% and an average net price of $36,846. 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.
Burlington, VT · Private nonprofit · Game design program
50.0
#69 of 89 nationally
Private
In Vermont, Champlain College is a city-campus private college in Burlington. Its Interactive Game Design B.S. includes courses such as Essentials of Rapid Prototyping, 3D Modeling, Advanced Systems Design and Production and a portfolio course for game designers, so students graduate with documents, systems and playable work to show.
Tuition is $47,400 for everyone, state residents included. Aided first-years pay a net price of $36,846 school-wide, the SAT midpoint is 1300 and 59% of entering students complete a degree within eight years. The college enrolls 3,259 students and about 28 people graduate from the major annually. Earnings for graduates of all majors were $58,386 ten years out. The program is a Bachelor of Science with 120 total credits. The campus is in a city.
Animation bachelor's programs in Vermont, 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.
Vermont's job market is tiny, so read these figures as a ceiling on what a small state can offer. Software developers have a median of $125,280, trailing the national median by $10,700, and only 1,740 people hold that job. Computer programmers have a median of $89,560 with 170 jobs. BLS publishes no Vermont wage for interface designers (the home of game designers in BLS data) or for animators and effects artists.
$77,490–$151,250$77k–$151k$77,490 to $151,250, May 2024May 2024
Not published
$104,000
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$65,690
$50,200–$92,790$50k–$93k$50,200 to $92,790
410
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$89,560
$71,800–$103,420$72k–$103k$71,800 to $103,420
170
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$129,260
$96,270–$153,890$96k–$154k$96,270 to $153,890
80
$114,850
BLS doesn't publish special effects artists and animators pay for Vermont. 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. Figures tagged May 2024 are from that earlier BLS release, because BLS didn't publish one for Vermont in the current release. A cell marked with a dash means BLS didn't publish a figure for Vermont, usually because too few employers reported.
Pay in Vermont's Largest Metro Areas
Metro area
Software developers
Web and digital interface designers
Price level
Burlington-South Burlington, VT
$126,940
$76,970
100.9
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.
Art-side pay is a pleasant surprise. Graphic designers have a median of $65,690, which tops the national median by $2,730. Art directors have a median of $129,260, which tops it by $14,410, though only 80 are employed. Those jobs are senior roles and rarely a first job, so treat the number as a long-term marker.
Burlington-South Burlington is the only Vermont metro with figures here. Software developers earn $126,940, programmers $101,020, interface designers $76,970 and graphic designers $68,260. Art directors in Burlington earn $153,890. A price level of 100.9 means Burlington costs slightly more than the national average, while the state overall runs about 2.0% below it, at 98.
Many graduates will head to larger studios elsewhere, so check whether Champlain College's career services place students in Boston or New York. Remote work for out-of-state companies is common in the field, and Vermont's lower overall prices help when your salary comes from somewhere else.
About 1,740 people work as software developers in Vermont. BEA's index puts prices in Vermont near the U.S. average, at 98.
The game design salary pages explain what each occupation covers and how game studios fit inside it.
Cost in Vermont
Paying for School in Vermont
Vermont has three public four-year colleges, and none lists a game bachelor's. In-state tuition averages $13,132 and out-of-state averages $30,636, a premium of $17,504. Once aid is applied, residents pay $21,658 on average. Those prices apply to a related degree such as computer science.
Public colleges in VT
Figure
Public four-year colleges
3
Average in-state tuition
$13,132
Average out-of-state tuition
$30,636
Average net price, aided in-state students
$21,658
Means across Vermont's public four-year degree-granting colleges that offer undergraduate study: tuition from IPEDS for 2023-24 (2 colleges reporting), net price for 2022-23 (2 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 $21,658 on average across 3, against $13,240 in the median state.
The Vermont Grant, a need-based award from the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, is the state aid to look for. The Tuition Break, a regional program of the New England Board of Higher Education, lets New England residents pay a reduced rate at out-of-state public programs that their state doesn't offer. Massachusetts is listed as having public game programs nearby, which makes it the natural place to apply the discount.
State Aid in Vermont
Vermont's main need program for undergraduates is the Vermont Grant, run by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation. In its own words: "If you're a Vermont resident considering a college program or short-term career training, you may be eligible to receive grant money from the state of Vermont through VSAC." Fill out the FAFSA early, since many state programs award money until it runs out.
Tuition Exchanges
Vermont belongs to the New England Board of Higher Education Tuition Break. In the program's own words, "66 public colleges and universities in New England participate."
With one ranked school, Vermont's decision is mostly about whether Champlain College is worth $36,846 after aid. It graduates 28 students a year, so it has more peers and alumni than many small programs, and it is in the state's largest city. The rank of 69 of 89 says its score is modest, so go for the campus and the faculty, not the ranking.
Compare it with the neighbors. New York has eight game bachelor's programs, Massachusetts has four and New Hampshire has two. Spread across that many options, you have a real chance of finding one that costs less or leans toward programming, since Vermont has no ranked programming or simulation program of its own.
A related degree at home is the cheaper fallback. At $21,658 after aid, a Vermont public college costs less than Champlain College or Bennington College, and a computer science degree leads to developer jobs paying $125,280. Be aware that net price and completion rate describe the whole school, not the game program.
Neighboring States
Neighboring stateNew York8 ranked game bachelor's · 29 programs in allView the New York guide ›
Neighboring stateMassachusetts4 ranked game bachelor's · 13 programs in allView the Massachusetts guide ›
Neighboring stateNew Hampshire2 ranked game bachelor's · 2 programs in allView the New Hampshire guide ›
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Are There Game Design Schools in Vermont?
Champlain College is the top-ranked game design school in Vermont, 69 of 89 in our national ranking. It finishes 59% of its students and has an average net price of $36,846 for aided first-year students, both school-wide IPEDS figures, and the program graduates about 28 students a year. It's the only ranked game bachelor's in Vermont, out of 3 game-related programs in the state at every level. See its full profile in the state ranking.
What Do Game Developers Earn in Vermont?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $125,280 in Vermont, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). Vermont ranks 29 of 51 states with published data for software developer pay, in the middle of the pack. BEA's index puts prices in Vermont near the U.S. average, at 98. About 1,740 people work as software developers in Vermont. See what game jobs pay in Vermont.
What Is the Cheapest Way to Study Game Design From Vermont?
The lowest-priced ranked option in Vermont is Champlain College, at an average net price of $36,846 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 Vermont averages $13,132, if a related program at home fits. See paying for school in Vermont.
Does Vermont Have a Tuition Exchange?
Yes, through the New England Board of Higher Education Tuition Break: Vermont is a member, and in the exchange's own words, "66 public colleges and universities in New England participate." 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 Vermont's own public colleges averages $30,636 against $13,132 in state. See paying for school in Vermont.
How Much More Do Out-of-State Students Pay in Vermont?
Out-of-state students pay about $17,504 more a year in tuition at Vermont's public four-year colleges, where in-state tuition averages $13,132 against $30,636 for nonresidents (IPEDS 2023-24). After grants, aided in-state students pay an average net price of $21,658. Vermont belongs to the New England Board of Higher Education Tuition Break, which can cut nonresident tuition at public colleges in member states, though each college picks which programs take part. See paying for school in Vermont.
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.
