Video Game Design and Development | Encouragement, advice, and support for aspiring game designers.

College Scholarships for Gaming Majors

Video Game Design Education

Dustin Tyler

March 11, 2017

Graduation is coming in hot!! You scared? You nervous? Totally understandable. You are, once again, about to venture into the unknown. You’re either at the top of the food chain right now, or maybe you’ll be entering your senior year (and getting king/queen of the jungle status) after the summer.

You’re one of the Old Guard at Central High. A grizzled veteran of primary academia.

You’ve gone through the K-12 schooling crucible and you’ve come out the other side (mostly) unscathed. We’re proud of you. But the fight to acquire knowledge isn’t over.

The good news is: you’re a little bit ahead of the pack. You think that you might enjoy pursuing a gaming major. Whether it’s animation, game design, computer science, or some other related field, you’ve set your sights on an academic end goal. If you change your mind along the way, that’s fine, but for now, you want to give a gaming major a shot.

Just because you want to design games for a living doesn’t mean you’re willing to break the bank to do so. Before you can start earning from a career in game development, you need to pay. College is expensive these days.

The good news is, you have several video game design schools at affordable and semi-affordable colleges. And the even better news is, you can get some scholarships!

Aspiring Animation Professionals

Don’t let the title of the scholarship program fool you; you do not need to be specifically pursuing a degree in animation. This scholarship applies to other related fields.

The program’s site lists eligible degrees as 3D animation, computer animation, digital design, game development, and game design (there are even more, but these are the most applicable for gaming majors).

The scholarship prize? A single scholarship is awarded annually to a graduating high school senior, for $1,000. To be eligible, you’ll need to be planning to attend a postsecondary school with accreditation.

To compete for this scholarship, you’ll need to have a successful academic record, and you’ll need to whip up an essay (between 500 and 1000 words).

The essay for this year covered this topic: What specific skill do you most want to develop? You can find all the details, and start the application process, over at ARC.

Every year, the submission deadline is June 1st (just missed this year!), with the winner announced in July, and the scholarship funds distributed in August. If you’re a high school junior now, this is a good scholarship to add to your “opportunities” list for next year.

Randy Pausch Scholarship Fund

You are only eligible for this scholarship opportunity if you are a full-time undergraduate student going into your sophomore year of college (that’s your second year, FYI!). You need to be pursuing a career that will eventually get you into the game industry.

You need to maintain a 3.3 GPA for this scholarship, so make sure you’re in it to win it, academically speaking.

This scholarship is quite the prize horse. There are two winners, and those rewarded with the scholarship receive $2,500. Here is a link to the website www.interactive.org. And for a link directly to the 2016/2017 application, click here. Your application needs to be submitted by June 30th! There is little time!

Some other notable criteria: two letters of recommendation, a maximum two-page letter explaining your studies and how you’ll benefit the industry, as well as your financial need situation.

This fund is looking to help people in a very tight financial spot, but don’t let some financial security stop you from applying; better to apply and be denied than to have wondered but never tried.

Squad Competition

If you’ve assembled a real Ace squad of game design friends, there’s a way for you to team up with them and earn some serious real-world loot. Microsoft offers an annual competition, called the ImagineCup, where teams of up to four eligible students compete in one of three different categories for serious prizes.

One of the big competitions is the Games Competition, where each team is responsible for developing a complete piece of software. The presented software needs to be completed in a way where the judges can use it, play it, and judge it. The grand-prize winner in this category takes home $50,000.

This is money that can be used for anything (like furthering your education!). The primary eligibility requirement is that you’re at least 16 years old. For the competition, you’ll be using Windows design software to program your games. Games could be desktop, mobile, or browser-based. You need to sign up by January to compete in that year’s games.

They get underway that same month. You can head over there to check out the current competitors right now, as they’ve only just wrapped up the semi-final stage of the competition. The 2016 World Champion has yet to be crowned.

The List Goes On

These are just the tip of the iceberg! Whether you’re in high school or college, solo or teamed up, there are ways for you to chip away at the tuition costs of your gaming degree. It doesn’t stop with the few scholarships we’ve listed above. We just wanted to let you know the opportunities are out there; There are tons more to choose from.

Check out this list at MyCollegeOptions for a wealth of potential scholarships. College scholarships is another helpful site, providing even more scholarship opportunities. The internet is your friend with this one. And, why not, here’s a third list of scholarships, from FastWeb. Just for good measure.

Nothing is precluding you from applying for more than one scholarship, either. Don’t be afraid to crank out applications. Scholarships for $500 or $1,000 might not seem like much on their own…but if you bag a few of them, all of a sudden you’re making a nice little dent in your future college loans.

And of course, this article only focused on the scholarships specific to game industry majors. There are plenty of “general” scholarships out there for which you can apply regardless of certain criteria (like your major, your financial situation, or your academic standing). Putting a little time in now can save you thousands of dollars later. So…do it!

What Are Esports Scholarships?

Varsity esports are catching on in universities around the US.

Yes, you read that right: Varsity esports.

Colleges are adding varsity gaming teams to their other varsity sports rosters: football, basketball, esports.

This varsity designation means extra funding from the school. And extra funding can mean scholarships.

Esports scholarships are scholarships given by the school to support their players and help them pay for their education.

The amount will vary from school to school. Some schools pay $2000 per player. Other schools are offering full rides for their esports athletes. This will depend on the size of the school, the size of the program, and the amount of support the program has from the school.

Athletic scholarships (esports included) are often based on the player’s athletic ability and tend to be determined by the coach.

So, the better you play and the bigger impact you have on the team (and their W/L record), the more money you stand to receive towards your tuition.

The National Association of Collegiate Esports is working on putting scholarships together, but don’t offer them quite yet (NACE is the biggest collegiate Esports organization in the US).

Let’s look at some schools and other scholarship programs that can help pay your way.

Best Esports Scholarships

University of California-Irvine

UCI focuses on two games for their esports program: League of Legends and Overwatch. They also offer scholarships. Their League of Legends scholarship values sits around $5,610. For Overwatch, the value sits a little lower at $2,500.

The competition is stiff at the University of California-Irvine. For one, you need to be a full-time student. Two: If you’re playing League of Legends, you have to be ranked at least at the Master level. For Overwatch, you need to be at the Grandmaster level.

To give you a sense of what that means: The Grandmaster level in Overwatch is the top 1% of players in the competitive tiers. For League of Legends, Master Tier is the level above Diamond. There’s no limit to how many players can be in the Master Tier at one time.

UCI takes their varsity esports more seriously than some other schools, but they also award substitute players the same scholarships as the starting lineup. So, if you’re already ranked appropriately, or close to doing so, it’s worth taking a shot at applying.

The University of Akron

The University of Akron is much less stringent in their gaming skill requirements–they encourage players of all skill levels to try out.

While they have scholarships available to their esports athletes (a first public school in Ohio to offer them for esports), the amount is not clearly defined anywhere. It will likely be based on your skill level in the games you’ll play for the team.

Harrisburg University

At Harrisburg University, there’s only one varsity sport: esports. Perhaps that’s why HU is offering 15 full athletic scholarships to the students who make the team.

They’re building teams for League of Legends, Overwatch, and Hearthstone. Based on team size and only 15 full athletic scholarships, it looks like they’re not shooting for a very deep bench.

This option is great for a few reasons.

Full rides are hard to come by. If you can get one by doing something you love, why the heck wouldn’t you?
They have a good program director and head coach on board. Chad Smeltz is a program director, he’s also a long-time coach for esports. Jeff Wang is heading up the coaching staff, and he’s a world-ranked gamer.
You’re the first only varsity sport at the school! You have a chance to shape not just the program, but the university’s entire varsity athletics legacy. No pressure.

Texas Wesleyan University

TXWES is another college getting into the varsity esports arena. They have three games: Overwatch, League of Legends, and Hearthstone.

For scholarships, Texas Wesleyan University is offering up to 12 scholarships for $2,000. These will be awarded on your game history and also on your performance as a university athlete.

They’re looking for student coaches, scouts, and opponent analysts as well, but the scholarships might only be limited to the athletes. That could change as the program grows.

University of Jamestown

The Jimmie Athletics department kicked off its first esports season in the fall of 2017. The program is offering up to $2,000 per team member to their esports squad. Their initial goal has been to fill a roster size of 25 people.

The University of Jamestown has been targeting high school leagues all over the United States. If you don’t already participate in a high school league, you should consider it (we’ll link some resources in a bit).

Morningside College

The Morningside Mustangs compete in four games: Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, Rocket League, and League of Legends. This offers a little more flexibility in gaming choice over the typical League of Legends and Overwatch combo.

And the scholarships are more generous than the typical $2,000, too ($2,000 per year is still a nice chunk of financial aid change!). At Morningside College, varsity esports players are offered up to $5,000 per year. This figure is based on your skill level and esports knowledge.

One catch here, it’s based on a “talent award.” These awards are offered through the school in general, not the varsity program specifically.

That means you’ll have to apply for the award and use your esports experience to fill out the “Talent Award” section. Admissions can help you with that as you apply.

Additional Resources

There are way more schools with varsity esports programs and a number of those offer scholarships. The scholarship amounts are not always available, other programs may offer more aid than the ones on this list.

For more schools with varsity esports programs, check out our guide on the 20 colleges with varsity esports programs.

For more on the High School Esports League, like how to start a team, how to get your high school involved, how to earn scholarships, and more, check out the official High School Esports League website.

Good luck!

Accredited Graphic Design Schools in Washington

Graphic Design

Dustin Tyler

March 10, 2017

Accredited Graphic Design Schools in Washington

Washington is a pretty cool state. Coffee, technology, scenic views–it’s got everything!

If you’re looking to pursue a career in visual communication and problem-solving, Washington just might be the right option for you.

We’ve put together a list of 7 of the top Graphic Design schools in Washington in an effort to make your search for higher education easier.

Whether it’s Seattle or greater Washington you’re after, or you’re just considering a career in Graphic Design, this list is a great place to start.

Our Ranking Criteria

In addition to feedback from schools and alumni, we rely on public data sources to determine our school rankings (read more). Some of these data sources include:

Because of our methodology, we don’t rank schools in any particular order.

Washington Graphic Design Colleges

University of Washington – Seattle Campus

The Computer Science and Engineering department at the University of Washington is an exceptional school for all things computer science. There are only 770 undergraduates in the entire department. The low number lends itself to the strong social community and an empowering academic environment.

You won’t be able to jump right into the Computer Science and Engineering Department programs. First, you have to apply to the University of Washington. After they accept you, you’ll need to take prerequisite courses. Once you’ve completed the prerequisite courses, you can make a bid for acceptance into the CSE program–they don’t let just anyone in.

The University of Washington is a research university, they explain the benefit of that on their website “we believe that a research university is a unique institution that can provide a unique undergraduate education – an education in which bright and committed students are brought to the very forefront of knowledge, closely mentored by faculty who are (with their students) working to redefine that forefront.”

At the University of Washington you won’t just be keeping up with the industry-standard practices, you will be on the cutting edge of the field. Even though this isn’t technically graphic design, you’ll be at the vanguard of industry practices, and will have developed plenty of skills that could help you pursue graphic design.

Featured Online Graphic Design School

Art Institute of Seattle

Regardless of your path, there are courses shared between the concentrations of Visual Design. Some of these include Color and Design Fundamentals, Image Manipulation, Web Page Scripting, Digital Illustration, Traditional Typography, and Interactive Motion Graphics.

If you take the Graphic Design Concentration, you’ll be exposed to Advertising Concepts, Package Design, and Advanced Layout Design. The Graphic Design Concentration includes business and advertising concepts. These concepts separate graphic design from its web design counterpart.

If you follow the Web Design Concentration, you will be exposed to topics such as Information Architecture, Interface Design, Design for Mobile Devices and Emerging Technologies, Web Page Design, and more.

Both paths have their merits. The concentrations are better suited for different career paths. Once you know what you want to do, deciding on a concentration will be much easier.

Central Washington University

If you’re looking for a program that will challenge and develop your critical thinking while exposing you to digital media and print media, then it’s worth taking a look at Central Washington University. CWU offers a Graphic Design Bachelor of Fine Arts program.

If you’ve read any of our other School List articles, you know that a Bachelor of Fine Arts program can be an intense undergraduate program. In order to be admitted to Central Washington University’s BFA program, you’ll need to pass a portfolio review, which doesn’t take place until your Junior year.

There’s a grade-point average requirement as well– keep your grades up because your admission into the Graphic Design BFA program depends on it. The Department of Art recommends that you enroll in the Bachelor of Art Graphic Design Track program during your Freshman or Sophomore years.

This will ensure you’re paired with an advisor and you can plan your path and discuss your options for the program. The BFA program requires you to complete a 10-12 credit summer internship program.

Washington State University

The Digital Technology and Culture course at Washington State University is, interestingly enough, located in the English Department. Don’t let that deter you–this program can prepare you for a career in Graphic Design.

You’ll be exposed to strong design principles as you create your own works, and analyze the work that’s out there today. Washington State University gives you access to the latest technology to practice creating and proliferating your own digital works across various mediums.

This interdisciplinary degree program, according to the WSU website, “combines the creative production and critical exploration of digital media. DTC emphasizes a historical, rhetorical, and cultural understanding of digital media so as to prepare students for problem-solving and communicating both locally and globally.”

Your creative thinking abilities, your audience awareness, your project, and information management skills — these are all traits you’ll have and be able to market upon completion of the program.

Eastern Washington University

Attending this program at Eastern Washington University requires two years of a single foreign language at the high school level or one year of a single foreign language at the college level. In the BA Visual Communication Design program, you will receive the help you need to prepare for a career in web design, multimedia design, or graphic design.

The Visual Communication Design Bachelor Program will expose you to fundamental art topics like Drawing and Typography. As you move further into the program, you’ll learn elements like Computer Graphics, Color Management, and Web Page Design. Your education in Visual Communication Design can be customized and enhanced with a hefty assortment of approved electives.

The Visual Communication Design Bachelor of Fine Arts Program is a bit more intense.

According to the Eastern Washington University website, the program was “founded on four major concerns: developing the highest levels of individual creative performance and professional education; providing courses for all students which develop ability in both technical visual communications, as well as important core skills in the area of fine art; giving students a greater cultural and historical understanding and aesthetic appreciation of the function of design in the arts and in the world around them; and functioning as dual centers of emphasis and resource for the visual arts, visual communication, and technology in the cultural activities of both the university community and the community at large.”

Lake Washington Institute of Technology

The Lake Washington Institute of Technology is located just outside of Seattle, so it’s no wonder that the school would want to cater to the demands of the technology industry. The Digital Design degree is a program that will teach you how to create compelling visual graphics for websites, hone your eye for design layouts, and help you produce great content for mobile devices.

Part of the Digital Design program at Lake Washington Institute of Technology involves online learning. They even have an “Evening Hybrid Degree Program.” If you work during the day and need to attend school in the evening, this program is for you. Part of it takes place in front of an instructor, and the other half of the program is conducted online.

If you need a program in the greater Seattle area that caters to your very busy schedule, give the Digital Design program at Lake Washington Institute of Technology a look.

Shoreline Community College

In-state tuition at Shoreline Community College costs about $4,000. Out of Station tuition is about $3,000 more expensive. In the Graphic Design Program at Shoreline Community College, you will learn how to design user interfaces, web page layouts, and branding materials. You’ll be exposed to advertising and marketing strategies and concepts, as well.

At Shoreline Community College, you are tasked with fostering and developing your creativity while learning the latest technology and software. You’ll learn how to organize and conduct market research to create better products. You’ll explore traditional graphic design elements, such as illustration, typography, and letterforms.

You’ll learn how to effectively use colors, textures, lines, and other art elements for the purpose of visual communication. This is an affordable 2-year option, which could provide you with a solid foundation on which to build your graphic design career.