DePaul’s game design programs in the Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media are moving up in a prestigious ranking: The Princeton Review ranked DePaul’s undergraduate program 25th, moving up three spots from last year. The graduate program also moved up five spots, now ranked 18th.
For faculty like Lien Tran, associate professor and chair of the undergraduate game design program, the rise in rankings reflects a deeply interdisciplinary approach to studying and making games combined with unique opportunities and resources.
“Our students are taught essential game design skills, are challenged to think creatively, and ultimately collaborate across our game design, game programming, and game art programs,” Tran says. “It’s quite unique to have these dedicated programs work together: it really elevates the game projects.” For example, ‘Perfect Soup’, a student capstone project, won a 2025 Collegiate Games Challenge honorable mention in the interactive category.
That creative environment extends beyond the classroom. Students collaborate with faculty in research labs and spaces on campus like Matters at Play, HexLab, DIGI Lab, DePaul Originals Game Studio, Design Research and Games Lab, and PUSH Studio, exploring work from experimental storytelling to socially impactful games highlighting DePaul’s interdisciplinary design approach. The student organization DeFRAG brings together game designers, programmers, and enthusiasts together for game jams, playtesting, and portfolio reviews.
Students also gain hands-on experience through paid assistantships and research programs, often working on faculty-led projects. For the second year, CDM sponsored more than 50 students with transportation and passes to attend the Midwest Game Developers Conference, and several students have had the opportunity to highlight their work at C2E2, the Chicago Toy and Game Fair and other festivals.
The Jarvis Student Center for Innovation and Collaboration, which recently expanded with new technology, funding opportunities and a speaker series, serves as a campus hub for game development. Its Jarvis Challenge along with the School of Design’s IMPACT grants help students develop ambitious ideas.
Undergraduate programs include the BS in Game Design, BS in Game Programming, BFA in Animation with a Game Art concentration, BS in Computer Science with a Games Systems concentration, and BS in CS+Animation with a Game Art Technical director concentration.
Graduate programs include the MFA in Game Design, MS in Game Programming, MA in Animation with a Technical Artist concentration, and MS in Software Engineering with a Real Time Game Systems concentration.
The game design program emphasizes designing games with purpose. Courses connect game design to humanities, civics, and community engagement initiatives across the university – such as DePaul’s HumanitiesX and Civics Initiative, and Chicago’s Graceland Cemetery.
“Our student experience is very much shaped by being at a mission-driven institution in Chicago,” Tran says. “Many of us are teaching interdisciplinary courses with faculty across the university and students learn from and even collaborate with Chicago community partners, such as the Sanctuary Working Group. Local game companies, like Jackbox Games and Studio Chyr, have also play tested prototypes with DePaul students, allowing students to not only see but also be part of the process of releasing commercial games.”
Richard Wetzel, chair of the graduate game design program, is currently running an interdisciplinary course where students collaborate with Graceland Cemetery and Arboretum and a Chicago-based museum app development company to create playful narratives to be staged at Graceland later this quarter.
“We see interdisciplinary and experiential learning as really important for our students. Working in diverse teams on real-world projects with community and industry partners is crucial for their success as designers.” said Wetzel.
For those interested in seeing student work from the game design program, the DePaul School of Design Showcase will take place at several Loop locations on June 11, 2026, from 4-7pm. The game capstone projects will be displayed in the Jarvis Center, offering a glimpse into the next generation of game designers.
To learn more about all the game programs available at DePaul, visit DePaul Games.