HPU’s Game Design Program Ranked Among Top 50 in the Nation
HPU is the only university in North Carolina to make The Princeton Review list.

For the second consecutive year, the Princeton Review has recognized High Point University for providing one of the Top 50 Undergraduate Game Design Programs in the country. This major, as well as a corresponding minor, is housed in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication. HPU is the only university in North Carolina to make the list. 

The program was selected on the 2023 list for the “Top 50 Undergraduate Schools for Game Design” based on college administrator survey responses to questions covering quality of faculty, facilities, technology, curriculum and career services.

“Having this recognition indicates that the game design program at HPU provides a holistic curriculum that gives students a broad understanding of game design principles through our core courses while allowing them the opportunity to tailor the major to their own strengths through the selection of their elective courses,” said Dr. Stefan Hall, chair and associate professor of game design. “The recognition for the second year in a row has a lot to do with the way that our current students have really become more engaged, produce better quality work, and take even more ownership not just for their own education, but also for their peers.”

Hall added that students in the program across the board are showcasing their passion for game design in several classes and into their extracurricular activities. He says that Game Development Club in particular has become a powerhouse of student-centered and student-directed game development that has helped put HPU on the map for this field.

Alumni of the program speak highly of how the classes, professors and resources helped them get to where they are at. Emily Krol, a Class of 2017 graduate of the program, says being part of the major in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication provided her the skills she needed to succeed outside of college.

“The game design program at HPU helped me build a solid foundation of knowledge not only about the game design process, but about the gaming industry, history of games and how to address problems plaguing the industry today,” says Krol, an esports and influencer marketing manager at Logitech. “The small class sizes and individual attention gave me the skills I needed to succeed early in my career, such as networking, the ability to work collaboratively on a focused team, and implementing feedback in a meaningful way. A degree from HPU in this program will give you the skills to compete and succeed in the fast-paced and ever-evolving world of gaming and esports.”

Here are some of the accomplishments in the game design program for 2022:

 - In 2022, students attended and presented their work at the largest conference for game developers on the East Coast. The East Coast Gaming Conference is a three-day event for students to interact with professional game designers and for developers to showcase their games. This year nearly 40 students will be representing HPU.

- 23 game design students presented their work at the 10^th annual High-PURCS (High Point Undergraduate Research & Creative Symposium), which gives students the opportunity to present their work on campus to fellow students, faculty, staff and the public. Four student groups displayed their original video games and eight students presented oral presentations on their area of expertise.

- HPU students formed a new chapter of the International Game Developer’s Association.

“Throughout my time here, I've been able to create stories and characters that others can enjoy, and now I've finally started to learn the tools necessary to do it,” said Steven Gast, a junior game design and physics major from Concord, North Carolina. “I have met some of the best people I know through the game design program and some of the best professors too. To me, it seems as if every year I've been in game design, it has only gotten better and I've continued to learn more than I did the year before. Anyone who enters this program willing to learn and put in the effort will come out of it with all the tools necessary to be an amazing game designer.”

Students majoring in Game Design at HPU have access to state-of-the-art facilities to work on their craft and design award-winning games at the collegiate level. Inside the School of Communication is where the Miriam and Steve Kimsey Game and Interactive Media Lab is housed, which holds three unique spaces- an esports arena, a design/makerspace and a game and interactive media computer lab.

Students at HPU also have access to world-class inventors such as Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, who serves as HPU’s Innovator in Residence. Wozniak frequently visits HPU to mentor and guide students on projects and offer hands-on learning opportunities to grow in their major.

Learn more about enrolling in this program by clicking here to request more information.

The Princeton Review also recognized HPU for its game design major in 2022 in the top 50 list.