For the seventh consecutive year, Abilene Christian University has earned a top spot on The Princeton Review’s list of best game design programs. ACU is ranked No. 28 in the “Top 50 Undergraduate Schools for Game Design for 2021” list, one spot higher than last year. 

“It’s rewarding for our faculty and students to be consistently recognized as a top program on this international stage,” said Dr. Brian Burton, associate professor of digital entertainment technology. “We often hear from families making college choices, as well as graduate schools and companies, that they look to this list as a reference for evaluating colleges and universities.”

Programs are ranked based on a survey conducted in 2021 of administrators at 150 institutions offering game design coursework and/or degrees in the U.S., Canada and some countries abroad. The survey covers a range of topics, from academics and faculty credentials to graduates’ employment and career achievements. ACU has the highest-ranked program at a faith-based university and is the second highest-ranked program in Texas. The full report can be seen at princetonreview.com/game-design.

“We enthusiastically recommend Abilene Christian University to students considering a career in this burgeoning field,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief. “Together with the other exceptional schools on our 2022 list, the schools have first-rate programs in game design.   Their facilities are state-of-the-art, and their alumni include many of the industry’s most successful artists, designers, developers and entrepreneurs.”

The game design program at ACU is part of the School of Information Technology and Computing’s digital entertainment technology degree, which equips students with the tools needed to create digital content and learn about the creative processes behind concepts and design. 

“One of the hallmarks of the DET program is that students are required to publish their work,” Burton said. “Last year several of our student teams published their games to Steam and Apple.  Our majors are being actively recruited before graduation by companies from all across the U.S.”

The Princeton Review developed its Top Schools for Game Design project in 2010 with guidance from a national advisory board the company formed to help design the project survey and ranking methodology. The Princeton Review also is known for its annual rankings of colleges, business schools and law schools in dozens of categories. 

PC Gamer magazine, The Princeton Review‘s reporting partner for this project since 2013, has a feature article on the rankings in its May issue.

Learn more about ACU’s digital entertainment technology program.

— Wendy Kilmer

Mar. 28, 2022