Game Design Colleges

So, I am a junior in highschool, and I am looking into game design as a career. Maybe a boyish fantasy, however I am completely serious about it. Would anyone be able to point me in the direction of some colleges/universities that offer majors in this field? Anywhere in the United States is ok, as I will boil them down further as I find more. This is the short list of colleges I've found so far:

The Art Institutes
DigiPen
Full Sail

Any others that are known of? I am trying to find some major universities that offer these programs. Help is much apprieciated.

A general major in Computer Science might do. Just look at technical schools and see what you like.

There's a great one in Austin that starts with a V. When I remember it I'll edit this post and fill it in properly. The International Game Designers Association should have some useful information: IGDA - International Game Developers Association
Depending on what part of game design you want to get into, you could go into graphic design or computer engineering at a normal college if you have to. Keep in mind most game design colleges count as technical schools and thus you don't actually get a college diploma. I too have interest in game design, but I'm going for a creative writing/visual arts double major at a liberal arts school.

I really recommend against going to schools like full sail. I live right down the street from it and can tell you that schools like that are a rip off. 80 grand to get in, rent and food. You will be in so much debt when you are done. That and the fact that its an accelerated school. You get new classes every month which kind of prevents you from learning a subject completely. Also having classes 10 hours a day, any hour of the day can be a bit annoying.

Champlain College up in Vermont has a pretty good program.

Champlain College, Burlington, Vermont
Game Art & Animation
Game Design
Game Programming

There's DeVry, but that college is for dumb people. Champlain will do.

Theres a community college that specializes in games and drama in shreveport, louisiana.

The Art Institute always seemed like a rip to me. I went there to check out the school in Dallas...wasn't impressed. it's right up there with Devry in my book - I kinda get the vibe that those sort of tech schools are more for people that can't do the real college thing. it's not the best way of going about these things.

what branch of game design do you want to go into? if you're looking at graphic arts and animation, whatnot...I may suggest getting an associate of arts at a community college that offers a program in graphic design (many of them have programs for specializing in game graphics), and branch off to a college for specialization after that. you could actually probably do something of the sort no matter what branch you go into, but I don't know as much about the rest of them.

but anyway, as long as your credits will transfer wherever you want to go to college...you'll need to get the basics (so long as you don't go to one of those crappy tech schools), might as well get the basics out of the way at a cheaper school.

Baylor University in Texas actually offers a degree in Computer Science with a focus toward Video Games. It's kinda like a Bachelor of Science with a minor in Film and Digital Media. I'm very much into the programming side of Games, so to have a degree that allows me the flexibility of a degree that can be applied to more than just games is very reassuring.

However, I hope it does lead to game development. =D

P.S. I actually attend Baylor, so I'd know what I'm talking about, and I promise you it isn't a rip off school at all if you've never heard of it, although I'd be surprised if you hadn't.

Hombre went to UCLA last fall for this, I believe. He might have a thing or two to say about this

When I was interested in doing video game design, I did some research on what companies were looking for. A lot of them actually prefer if you go to a four-year university and get your degree from there. If you get a degree in game design, but you don't get a job in that field (it's highly competitive), you're kind of screwed since your degree is in such a specialized field. When I was looking for art, one of the things I saw was, "they can teach you how to use the programs, but they can't teach you how to draw".

Originally Posted by Layke

P.S. I actually attend Baylor, so I'd know what I'm talking about, and I promise you it isn't a rip off school at all if you've never heard of it, although I'd be surprised if you hadn't.

my sister went there for a degree in nursing years ago. definitely not a rip-off school. never knew they had a program focused on video games though.

At Keiser University they have a program for game design; you just have to find the closest campus to you that offers it.

ITT Tech has a video game design school. http://itt-tech.edu/teach/list/degd.cfm