MSU’s Game Design and Development ranks 7th Nationally for Undergraduate Programs and 9th for Graduate Programs
Ranking 7th in the U.S., Michigan State University is one of the top undergraduate schools offering programs in game design according to The Princeton Review®. The education services company features the school on its 11th annual ranking list, "Top 50 Undergraduate Schools for Game Design for 2020."
Michigan State University captured the 7th spot on the undergraduate list and 9th on the graduate list, both rankings The Princeton Review released in March.
The survey used in the rankings collected information about the schools' game design programs in four areas: academics, faculty, technology, and career prospects. In all, more than 40 data points were analyzed for the final tallies.
"We highly recommend MSU and every one of the schools that made our lists for 2020," said Robert Franek, Editor-in-Chief for The Princeton Review. "Their faculties are outstanding and their facilities are awesome. Just as impressive: their alumni include many of the video game industry’s most prominent artists, designers, developers, and entrepreneurs.”
The Princeton Review's reporting partner for this project, PC Gamer, will feature the ranking lists in its May issue. It reports interesting facts on the top schools' programs, faculty, and alumni. The issue lands in subscriber mailboxes in March and will be available on newsstands beginning March 24.
Michigan State University has ranked in the top 10 since 2012 and the Game Design and Development program is the highest-ranked out of all MSU programs. MSU again triumphs in the Big 10, securing the honor of being the only member with a game design program in the top 10 rankings.
Since the program’s launch in 2005, the Media and Information Department at Michigan State has offered students plenty of opportunities to work on projects that are tangible and rewarding.
MSU alumni have moved on to work for companies such as Sony’s Santa Monica Studio (God of War), Rockstar Games (Red Dead Redemption 2) and Insomniac (Spider-Man) with titles receiving critical acclaim. Gaining skills in the lab and in the classroom, the students learn to collaborate and produce amazing games that receive attention from the media.
The student-built Plunder Panic garnered numerous awards, such as the 2017 IndieCade Audience Choice Award. It was created in the Games for Entertainment and Learning Lab, or GEL Lab, an award-winning on-campus game studio that pays students to work on grant-funded, meaningful games.
For more information, visit the Media and Information Department’s web page.
By John Castro