Best Game Design Schools
in the World 2018
These results are based on the quality of student portfolios submitted to the Rookie Awards 2018.
Best Game Design Schools
882
Students
2301
Projects
217
Schools
54
Countries
Ranked based on student performance in Rookie Awards 2018
Top 10 Game Design Schools in the World 2018
The Best Game Design Schools for 2018 is something we take very seriously and no external influences or payments are entered into at any point. Our rankings focus on the quality of students portfolios that are submitted to our judging panel which best reflect the recruitment interview process.
We feel that traditional school rankings that include peer and employer reviews, faculty to student ratio, citations and other data are not adequate when ranking the best creative schools. For a complete breakdown of how we rank the best schools for 2018 please read how we rank the best schools and how we analyse the data in the sections located at the bottom of this page.
The best Game Design Schools around the world.
Review our region based Game Design school rankings
Featured Game Design Schools
to help you start your career on the right path.
Finding a top Game Design school can be an overwhelming experience. There are so many factors to consider such as price, location, curriculum, staff, alumni and connection to industry for a start. We know schools. We know students. Most importantly, we understand the skills that need to be taught and which schools consistantly produce the best students. These schools here are a great place to start researching for your art education.
Based on rankings provided by general public
Most Popular Game Design Schools in the World
The Best Game Design Schools for 2018 is something we take very seriously and no external influences or payments are entered into at any point. Our rankings focus on the quality of students portfolios that are submitted to our judging panel which best reflect the recruitment interview process. We feel that traditional school rankings that include peer and employer reviews, faculty to student ratio, citations and other data are not adequate when ranking the best creative schools.
Best Game Design Schools 2018
School Statistics
The charts below breakdown how close the top school ranking for 2018 actually were. The combination of median student score and category bonus points help reinforce that top schools are very closely matched in performance. The second chart provides a little insight into how many students submitted work from different schools. The amount of entries from each school was not included in the calculation of best schools for 2018, however we feel the data is quite interesting.
Game Design Student data for 2018
Student Demographics
From the data collected by students around the globe we can see that Animation is most popular for males aged between 18-24 years old.
Top Game Design School Performance 2018
Student Performance
When analysing the results of all the Game Design students we can see a typical bell curve for student performance. The majority of students received a C ranking which means they presented some good quality work and have potential. However, they still need to improve and clearly demonstrate core skills more clearly in their portfolio.
From the entriesthat received a B or A ranking, 49 of the students were considered to have production quality skills. This means the demonstrated skills required of digital artists at the top tier of production companies.
This production skill indicator does not mean lower rankedstudents are not ready for the challenges of production, but it’s a marker for the level of talent that production companiesconsider an ideal candidate that will transition to the workforce with ease.
The Student Employment and Application chart demonstrates the high demand that students have for furthering their education with scholarship and the desire to start their career with an internship.
The Top 10 Countries for Game Design talent chart is calculated byselecting all students that received an A or B ranking and corresponding that withthe country where they studied.
Ranking Game Design Schools in 2018
How we rank the best Game Design schools
Our rankings focus on the quality of students portfolios that are submitted to our judging panel which best reflect the recruitment interview process.
The reason we take this approach is because we believe the goal of each creative school is tasked with helping students learn the right creative and technical skills that mirror the requirements of industry. It is their job to train artists to a level that allows them to transition from to a professional environment with ease.
The end result for students is less about grades, it’s about creating a digital portfolio that best showcases their skills and displays an understanding of production pipelines. This is why our judges review portfolios and review student work in the same manner as a professional job application.
The rankings are based on the scores as awarded by the official judging panel. Opinions by the general public are by no means considered.
Students are judged on their creative skills, technical skills, presentation, variety of skills, complexity, raw talent, and employment potential.
Game Design analytics for Schools in 2018
How we analyse the data
Each school is awarded a final score based on the performance of each student representing their academic facility.
When analysing the average scores of each student per school there are three possible data formulas available to use: mean, median and mode.
The Rookies uses median. The median is the middle point of a number set, in which half the numbers are above the median and half are below. A median is intrinsically understandable. It is the middle number when the values are put in order.
The most important factor here is that a median is not affected by outliers. This means that schools are not penalised for incomplete entries and schools are not favoured for a single high score that is not the norm. Student scores often have outlier values and using the median is the more robust solution to determine an average.
Important details about how a school score is calculated:
- Schools with < 4 student entries are excluded from ranking.
- Incomplete student entries are removed from calculations. No penalties.
- Each student receives a performance score. Max 100 points. (Student Score)
- Median students score calculated per school. Max 100 points. (Median Student Score)
- Each category finalist receives 10 bonus points toward School Score.
- Each category runner up receives 15 bonus points toward School Score.
- Each category winner receives 20 bonus points toward School Score.
2018 Report
Download School
Rankings Report
The School of the Year Report is of relevance to students and tutors, studios and recruiters. It has been produced to assist and enable prospective students to find a school that is best suited to their desired career path.
The report includes a detailed breakdown of all the data collected from student submissions for 2018. Included inside a further breakdowns and additional ranking for other schools that participated. We hope this report will help ensure schools continue to push their curriculum’s to the edge and to guide students in demonstrating learnt skills that are perfectly matched to the requirements of production.
Need some help finding the perfect school?
Finding the perfect school is a massive decision and there are loads of factors that come into play. We totally get it and this is why we are here if you want to have a chat and get our opinion.