For the eighth year running, The Princeton Review™ has ranked DigiPen Institute of Technology as one of the top 5 schools to study game design.
The college admission services company ranked DigiPen No. 4 on its list of top undergraduate schools. The rankings are based on a 2016 survey of 150 institutions in the U.S., Canada, and abroad offering game design degree programs or courses.
“Game design is an exciting field and programs are springing up in colleges all over the world,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s Editor in Chief. “We want to help students find the best program for their needs and interests. The top schools on our lists have outstanding faculties and great facilities which will give students the skills and experience they need to pursue a career in this dynamic and burgeoning field.”
Game design and development has always been a central component of DigiPen’s academic curricula. Students in each degree program have the opportunity to work on original game projects as an application of their coursework in art, music, computer science, and design. By working alongside their peers from other disciplines, students gain the experience of collaborating in an industry-like environment. Students also benefit by learning directly from faculty members, many of whom are game industry veterans.
“What continues to excite me about DigiPen and the education here is seeing the academics applied immediately in student-driven projects. Students benefit directly from the experience and engagement of the faculty as they address the hurdles that arise,” said Dr. Erik Mohrmann, Dean of Faculty at DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Washington. “The game projects are an incredible teaching device, not only for learning how to apply complicated academic concepts, but also for learning how to work with other people. Students really invest in their education, because they are working on projects that are fun, challenging, and personally meaningful.”
Since the graduation of DigiPen Institute of Technology’s first cohort more than 15 years ago, DigiPen alumni have worked on over 1,000 commercial game titles, including recent hits like Overwatch, Final Fantasy XV, and Titanfall 2. DigiPen student game projects have also garnered awards at international competitions, such as the E3 College Game Competition, IndieCade, and the Independent Games Festival.
As a testing ground for new ideas, DigiPen students regularly work and experiment with emerging game technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality devices. Thanks to industry connections with local technology companies, DigiPen students have been among the first to get their hands on software development kits for products like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Microsoft HoloLens, and more.