Kent State University is one of the top undergraduate schools for game design studies according to The Princeton Review®. The education services company features Kent State, with animation game design programs through the College of Applied and Technical Studies at the Kent, Stark and Tuscarawas campuses, on its 15th annual ranking list, Top 50 Undergraduate Schools for Game Design for 2024.
The innovative Kent State Animation Game Design program ranks in The Princeton Review at the 44th spot nationally and the 12th spot in the Midwest for game design. The entire ranking lists are available on The Princeton Review’s website.
The Princeton Review chose Kent State based on its 2023 survey of administrators at 150 institutions across the U.S. and abroad offering game design courses, majors, or degree programs. The survey collected information in four areas: academics, faculty, technology, and career prospects.
"We highly recommend Kent State University as well as the other outstanding schools on our 2024 lists to students considering a career in the exciting field of game design," said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review's Editor-in-Chief. "Their faculties are superb. Their facilities are state-of-the-art, and their alumni include many of the industry’s most successful game designers, developers, and entrepreneurs."
PC Gamer, The Princeton Review's reporting partner for this project since 2013, has a feature on the rankings in its May issue. The feature, titled "The Best Game Design Programs Ranked by The Princeton Review for 2024," names the schools on the lists and reports interesting stats and fun facts about their programs.
The Princeton Review developed this ranking project in 2010 with guidance from a national advisory board the company formed to help design the survey and methodology for the rankings. Advisory board members included administrators and faculty from respected game design school programs and professionals from some of the top video game companies.
The animation game design major provides the key concepts, creative tools and principles of diverse skills in fundamental and advanced technical knowledge of modeling, animation and game design. The program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Arts and Design (NASAD).
Animation game design students create digital media works, such as cartoons, digital and non-digital games, motion graphics, 3D walkthroughs, simulations, and virtual reality environments while learning contemporary concepts in their respective program concentration. All students take core courses which introduce them to the current state of the animation and game industries while building their skills with a variety of industry-standard technologies for 2D graphics, 3D models, digital sculpting and simple animation.
The program faculty of active industry professionals guide students through the program, which offers concentrations in both Animation and Game Design.
Graduates of the program usually work in studios specializing in 2D and 3D digital graphics, architectural visualization, virtual and augmented reality, interactive training simulations, as well as the broadcast and entertainment industries. As a field where professionals routinely integrate the work of multiple visual and audio media, students are encouraged to work collaboratively across disciplines. The selection of major electives likewise offers students pathways for building skills and knowledge in related areas.
To learn more about the Kent State College of Applied and Technical Studies’ Bachelor of Science degree in Animation Game Design, please visit https://catalog.kent.edu/colleges/ap/animation-game-design-bs/ or www.kent.edu/cats.