What Game Design programs cost
Every figure on this page is federal data, reported as the source reports it. Where a program has too few completers to report safely, the government suppresses the figure and so do we.
Data last updated
$26,000
90 programs reporting
Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study (retrieved September 2026)
$48,144
128 programs reporting
Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study (retrieved September 2026)
1
Of 89 reporting both figures
Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study (retrieved September 2026)
By credential
| Credential | Programs | Annual tuitionpublished, in-state | Median graduate debt | Median graduate earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 168 | $3,248 | $11,042 | $39,933 |
| Associate degree | 155 | $4,046 | $15,125 | $36,208 |
| Bachelor’s degree | 147 | $27,530 | $26,618 | $53,250 |
| Master’s degree | 44 | $35,650 | $67,489 | $87,998 |
Sources: College Scorecard, Field of Study (retrieved September 2026); IPEDS, NCES (retrieved September 2026)
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By institution type
| Institution type | Programs | Annual tuition | Median graduate debt | Median graduate earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public | 333 | $3,940 | $20,101 | $42,250 |
| Private nonprofit | 140 | $38,288 | $26,322 | $52,640 |
| Private for-profit | 41 | $20,913 | $31,000 | $64,107 |
Sources: College Scorecard, Field of Study (retrieved September 2026); IPEDS, NCES (retrieved September 2026)
Where the numbers do not work
1 of 89 programs reporting both figures leave graduates owing more in federal loans than they earn in their fourth year out. We publish them because no one else will.
| Institution | Fieldand delivery | at completion | 4 yrs after | Median federal loan debt at completion, divided by median earnings four years later. It answers a single question: how much of one year’s income do you owe on the day you finish?Below 50% is generally considered manageable. Above 100% means graduates owe more than they earn in a year, and repayment on a standard ten-year plan starts to consume a serious share of income.Debt covers federal loans only, so real ratios are often worse. Both figures are medians — half of graduates fall on the wrong side of each. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pratt Institute-MainMaster’s degree · NY · Private nonprofit | Graphic DesignMaster’s degree · On campusOffers: Game Arts (BFA) · Digital Arts – 2-D Animation (BFA) · Digital Arts – 3-D Animation and Motion Arts (BFA) · Digital Arts – Art and Technology (BFA) · Graphic Design (AOS)What this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Interior DesignIndustrial and Product DesignIllustrationDesign and Visual Communications, GeneralFashion/Apparel DesignGame and Interactive Media DesignThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $123,755 | $82,883 | 149% |
Debt is federal loans only and excludes private borrowing, so real totals are often higher.
Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study (retrieved September 2026)
Where they work best
The same field, at the other end. These programs leave graduates with the lowest debt relative to what they go on to earn.
| Institution | Fieldand delivery | at completion | 4 yrs after | Median federal loan debt at completion, divided by median earnings four years later. It answers a single question: how much of one year’s income do you owe on the day you finish?Below 50% is generally considered manageable. Above 100% means graduates owe more than they earn in a year, and repayment on a standard ten-year plan starts to consume a serious share of income.Debt covers federal loans only, so real ratios are often worse. Both figures are medians — half of graduates fall on the wrong side of each. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan-Ann ArborBachelor’s degree · MI · Public | Modeling, Virtual Environments and SimulationBachelor’s degree · On campus | $19,230 | $162,114 | 12% |
| Brigham Young University-IdahoBachelor’s degree · ID · Private nonprofit | Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources DesignBachelor’s degree · On campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Modeling, Virtual Environments and SimulationThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $9,312 | $65,397 | 14% |
| Atlantic UniversityBachelor’s degree · PR · Private nonprofit | Computer GraphicsBachelor’s degree · On campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources DesignThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $4,049 | $21,309 | 19% |
| Cuyahoga Community College DistrictAssociate degree · OH · Public | Graphic DesignAssociate degree · HybridWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Design and Visual Communications, GeneralInterior DesignCommercial PhotographyGame and Interactive Media DesignIllustrationThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $6,000 | $30,936 | 19% |
| Stark State CollegeAssociate degree · OH · Public | Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources DesignAssociate degree · HybridWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Computer GraphicsData Modeling/Warehousing and Database AdministrationThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $6,699 | $34,518 | 19% |
| Johnson County Community CollegeAssociate degree · KS · Public | Interior DesignAssociate degree · On campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Graphic DesignGame and Interactive Media DesignFashion/Apparel DesignThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $9,341 | $48,084 | 19% |
| University of Southern CaliforniaBachelor’s degree · CA · Private nonprofit | Design and Visual Communications, GeneralBachelor’s degree · On campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Game and Interactive Media DesignThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $18,000 | $89,022 | 20% |
| DigiPen Institute of TechnologyBachelor’s degree · WA · Private for-profit | Modeling, Virtual Environments and SimulationBachelor’s degree · On campus | $26,924 | $122,375 | 22% |
| Utah Valley UniversityBachelor’s degree · UT · Public | Design and Visual Communications, GeneralBachelor’s degree · On campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Game and Interactive Media DesignThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $12,500 | $55,728 | 22% |
| New England Institute of TechnologyAssociate degree · RI · Private nonprofit | Computer Programming/Programmer, GeneralAssociate degree · On campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Computer Game ProgrammingThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $16,166 | $70,628 | 23% |
Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study (retrieved September 2026)
What these numbers do not tell you
- Debt figures cover federal loans only. Private loans, credit cards and family money are invisible here, so the real cost is usually higher.
- Earnings cover people who completed the program and were working and not enrolled four years later. People who dropped out are not counted, and dropping out is common.
- The Scorecard reports at a four-digit CIP level, so a figure for one program may pool several related ones at the same institution.
- Programs with too few completers are suppressed for privacy. Small programs are therefore under-represented on this page.