Best Game Design Schools in West Virginia for 2027
The short list of game design schools in West Virginia has a strong name at the top. West Virginia University (Morgantown) ranks 8 of 89 nationally, scores 82.0 and costs $13,691 after aid, a good price for a school with that standing. It is the only ranked game bachelor's in the state, and it is public. Wages here run well under the national median, but prices run about 10.5% lower than average too.
Kevin ToFounder & EditorB.S. in Computer Science, Temple UniversityUpdated
1Game Design Bachelor's Ranked for 2027top score: West Virginia UniversityOur ranking
1Game-Related Programs in the State1 bachelor's, 0 associate, 0 graduateIPEDS
$13.7kMedian Net Pricebachelor's schools here, aided first-year studentsIPEDS
West Virginia University leads at 82.0.It is the only ranked program in West Virginia, scored on completion, net price and size. It finishes 64% of its students and has a $13,691 net price.The Ranking ›
Software developers earn $121,000 here.The U.S. median for the same job is $135,980. About 2,650 people work as software developers in West Virginia. In West Virginia, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $71,880, which is 31% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in West Virginia: BEA puts prices 10.5% 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 West Virginia: BEA puts prices 10.5% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further.Prices ›
Public in-state tuition averages $7,697.The Promise Scholarship is West Virginia's main state grant. West Virginia's public four-year colleges are a good deal: aided in-state students pay $11,355 on average across 12, under the $13,240 median state. Out of state, tuition averages $16,535.Costs ›
West Virginia in brief
Key Facts About Studying Game Design in West Virginia
West Virginia has two colleges with game-related programs and one ranked bachelor's. The ranked program is at West Virginia University (Morgantown), a game design program. It scores 82.0, finishes 64% of its students and graduates 24 a year. There is one associate program elsewhere in the state, no graduate program, and no animation bachelor's in the data.
That makes the choice simple. You either go to Morgantown, study something related at another public college, or look at neighboring states. Pennsylvania has seven game bachelor's programs and Ohio has five, so West Virginians have more options within reach than the state itself provides. Maryland has two and Virginia has one.
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 West Virginia
The Game Design School in West Virginia for 2027
West Virginia University leads, ranked 8 of 89 in the national game design ranking, with a completion rate of 64% and an average net price of $13,691. Every school on this list is public. 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.
West Virginians pay $10,104 a year in tuition at West Virginia University, against $28,608 for out-of-state students. The Morgantown campus is a city setting, and the B.A. in Game Design and Interactive Media is housed in the creative arts and media college.
The program covers game design, digital narrative, interactive audio and coding, and it exposes students to the history, ethics and cultural issues of design and technology. Admission does not require a portfolio review. School-wide, the admit rate is 89%, aided first-years pay $13,691 net and 64% finish within eight years. About 24 students graduate from the program annually. Coursework includes beginning 3D animation, interactive audio design and game design with digital narrative. Net price is lowest for state residents once aid is applied, since in-state tuition is $10,104.
Wages in West Virginia sit well below the national medians in every role with a published figure, so plan around that. Software developers earn a median of $121,000, short of the national median by $14,980, across 2,650 jobs. Interface designers earn $71,880 with only 200 jobs, and animators and effects artists earn $60,940 with 40 jobs. The design and art medians trail the national ones by $32,120 and $41,090.
Graphic designersWhere many art and UI graduates start
$40,350
$35,260–$48,550$35k–$49k$35,260 to $48,550
520
$62,960
Computer programmersProgramming roles outside software development
$65,320
$53,640–$89,610$54k–$90k$53,640 to $89,610
140
$100,390
Art directorsSenior art leads; rarely a first job
$63,550
$53,150–$82,490$53k–$82k$53,150 to $82,490
30
$114,850
Annual wages, BLS OEWS May 2025. The middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
Pay in West Virginia's Largest Metro Areas
Metro area
Software developers
Special effects artists and animators
Price level
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
$110,780
Not published
88.4
Charleston, WV
$122,980
Not published
88.7
Morgantown, WV
$108,950
$53,440May 2024
93.3
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 2024 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.
The smaller roles pay little. Graphic designers have a median of $40,350, programmers have $65,320, and art directors have $63,550, though only 30 art directors work in the state. These are thin markets, so a graduate hoping for a studio job in West Virginia will probably be looking at remote work or a move.
Among metros, Charleston pays developers the most at $122,980, ahead of Huntington-Ashland at $110,780 and Morgantown at $108,950. Graphic designers earn $37,920 in Charleston, $39,420 in Huntington-Ashland and $40,460 in Morgantown. BLS publishes no metro figure for the other roles.
Low prices soften the blow. West Virginia's state price level is 89.5, which means prices about 10.5% below the national average, and the metros sit at 88.4, 88.7 and 93.3. A remote developer salary from a larger market would go a long way here, and typical first jobs are QA tester, junior designer, UI artist or junior programmer.
About 2,650 people work as software developers in West Virginia. In West Virginia, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $71,880, which is 31% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in West Virginia: BEA puts prices 10.5% 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 West Virginia
Paying for School in West Virginia
The 12 public four-year colleges in West Virginia cost residents $7,697 in tuition on average and nonresidents $16,535, a premium of $8,838. After aid, in-state students pay $11,355 on average. At the two colleges with game programs, resident tuition is $10,104 and nonresident tuition is $28,608, a difference of $18,504.
Public colleges in WV
Figure
Public four-year colleges
12
Average in-state tuition
$7,697
Average out-of-state tuition
$16,535
Average net price, aided in-state students
$11,355
Means across West Virginia's public four-year degree-granting colleges that offer undergraduate study: tuition from IPEDS for 2023-24 (12 colleges reporting), net price for 2022-23 (12 reporting). Net price is what first-year students with grant aid paid after grants.
West Virginia's public four-year colleges are a good deal: aided in-state students pay $11,355 on average across 12, under the $13,240 median state.
The Promise Scholarship, a merit award from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, is the state aid to check. The Academic Common Market lists Maryland as a member with public game programs nearby. Pennsylvania and Ohio are not listed, so ask whether a program there would qualify before counting on a discount.
State Aid in West Virginia
West Virginia's main merit program for undergraduates is the Promise Scholarship, run by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. In its own words: "The Promise Scholarship will pay $5,500 per year or the cost of tuition and mandatory fees, whichever is less, at any eligible institution." Fill out the FAFSA early, since many state programs award money until it runs out.
Tuition Exchanges
West Virginia 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."
How to Choose a Game Design Program in West Virginia
West Virginia University is the clear starting point, and the numbers back it up. Its net price of $13,691 sits above the $11,355 public-college average but below most private options elsewhere on these pages. It files under game design, so you'd study design rather than engine programming. The completion rate and net price describe the whole campus, so ask how large the game program's own cohort is.
Think about residency. A nonresident pays $28,608 in tuition at the game-program colleges where a resident pays $10,104, so West Virginia University is a bargain mainly for in-state students. If you live in Maryland, check the Academic Common Market before you pay out-of-state rates.
If you want programming, lean on a computer science degree. Software developers earn $121,000 here, far more than any other role in the table, so a developer path is more reliable than a pure design path. Pair it with a game portfolio of finished projects, and consider online options if you want a program the state does not have. Visit Morgantown if you can, because a small program is easiest to judge in person, and ask faculty where recent graduates have found their first jobs.
Neighboring States
Neighboring stateOhio5 ranked game bachelor's · 11 programs in allView the Ohio guide ›
Neighboring statePennsylvania5 ranked game bachelor's · 10 programs in allView the Pennsylvania guide ›
Neighboring stateMaryland2 ranked game bachelor's · 7 programs in allView the Maryland 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 ›
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Are There Game Design Schools in West Virginia?
West Virginia University is the top-ranked game design school in West Virginia, 8 of 89 in our national ranking. It finishes 64% of its students and has an average net price of $13,691 for aided first-year students, both school-wide IPEDS figures, and the program graduates about 24 students a year. It's the only ranked game bachelor's in West Virginia, out of 1 game-related programs in the state at every level. Out-of-state students pay $18,504 more a year in published tuition there. See its full profile in the state ranking.
What Do Game Developers Earn in West Virginia?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that counts game programmers, earn a median of $121,000 in West Virginia, against $135,980 nationally (BLS May 2025). In West Virginia, web and digital interface designers, where bls counts game designers, earn $71,880, which is 31% under the national median of $104,000. Living costs work in your favor in West Virginia: BEA puts prices 10.5% below the U.S. average, so a paycheck or a student budget goes further. About 2,650 people work as software developers in West Virginia. See what game jobs pay in West Virginia.
Is West Virginia Cheap to Live In?
West Virginia is cheaper than average to live in: overall prices run at 89.5 on BEA's Regional Price Parities, where the U.S. average is 100, and housing at 54.2. Housing pulls the cost down most, at 54.2 on BEA's housing index against 100 nationally. West Virginia's public four-year colleges are a good deal: aided in-state students pay $11,355 on average across 12, under the $13,240 median state. See what game jobs pay in West Virginia.
Can I Use the Academic Common Market From West Virginia?
Yes, through the Academic Common Market (ACM): West Virginia 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 West Virginia's own public colleges averages $16,535 against $7,697 in state. See paying for school in West Virginia.
What Does West Virginia Public College Cost?
The lowest-priced ranked option in West Virginia is West Virginia University, at an average net price of $13,691 a year for aided first-year students. It doesn't trade completion for price: 64% of its students finish, above the 59% median among ranked programs. Public in-state tuition in West Virginia averages $7,697, if a related program at home fits. See paying for school in West Virginia.
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.
