Top 10 Gaming Schools

The Global Gaming League (GGL), an online research and specialty-interest group, conducted a survey to determine which U.S. colleges and universities offered their students the best gaming environment. Ranking criteria included student population, tech-friendliness and the quality of school-provided Internet connections. The best schools, as reported by GGL, were:

1. The University of Texas, Austin, Tex.
2. Penn State University, State College, Penn.
3. Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York
4. The University of California, Los Angeles, LA, Calif.
5. Digipen Institute of Technology, Redmond, Wash.
6. The University of Southern California, LA, Calif.
7. Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
8. The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn.
9. The University of Michigan, Dearborn, Mich.
10. Full Sail Real World Education, Orlando, Fla.

College Life for Gamers

You might be saying: Aren't video and computer games for slacker students, the ones who never show up for class because they spend more time playing Quake than studying? How did academically superior schools like UCLA and Penn State end up on that list?

Well, according to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, it's not just the loners and the losers playing games anymore. Even academically serious students at reputable schools use video and computer games to let off steam. In fact, 65% of college students surveyed in 2002 reported that they sometimes or often played video or computer games. A December 2006 survey by Anderson Analytics found similar results. Together, Pew and Anderson found that:

• Only 9% of students say that they use games to actively avoid schoolwork.
• Still, half of those surveyed admit that gaming cut into their study time.
• Male students play for fun and to connect with others, while females mostly play out of boredom.
• 83% say they play less than 6 hours per week.
• 20% said gaming helps develop friendships.

How did computer and video gaming making the jump from geek pastime to the social mainstream? Maybe the same way that today's student gaming enthusiasts maintain good grades at outstanding schools: this generation grew up gaming. According to Pew, students at UT-Austin, Penn State, and other great gaming schools are so used to integrating video games into their lives that they do not see video games as a distraction from other activities. Just like you might budget time for brushing your teeth, modern gamers have been playing so long that they can unconsciously schedule in frag parties and Warcraft raids while still getting their work done -- at least, as much as college students have ever gotten their work done.

Gaming Education

Some students don't just want to play games -- they want to create them. Historically, schools have shied away from offering classes in video games design, but one of the schools in GGL's survey, the Digipen Institute of Technology, is a prime example of how the higher education industry is beginning to take notice of this market. Digipen offers a 4-year degree in game programming. The degree program is so well regarded in the industry that students receive an average of two job offers immediately after graduating. In an era when more people say that interactive media and games are their favorite form of media entertainment than any other (35%, compared to 18% for the second-most popular media, television), that's some good job security.

A few other schools are beginning to jump onboard, including the University of California at Irvine, which features a Game Culture and Tech Laboratory, and Southern Methodist University, which is offering a new graduate certificate program in games design.

Digipen, however, is still a favorite among gamers and those in the industry. Also called Donkey Kong U, the school lives up to its word, only graduating a few dozen of the 200 or so students who enter each year's class. But those few are the lucky ones: salaries in the field range from $50,000 to $100,000, while the job entails creating the games that students will play all across the country, at campuses that are increasingly friendly - and accommodating - to their unique passion.

Some of the most popular degrees and certificates in game design include:

• Video Game 3D Animation Certificate
• Associate of Video Game Design and Development
• Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Game Design
• Bachelor of Game Art and Design