The University of Utah’s Games Division has once again secured global acclaim, being named the #1 undergraduate game design program among public institutions and #2 globally for graduate programs, according to the 2025 Princeton Review rankings.
This marks the second consecutive year the program has received top-tier global honors, highlighting its unwavering excellence, dynamic growth, and unique educational approach. Rooted in a culture of creativity, collaboration, and innovation, the Games Division has become a launchpad for the next generation of designers, developers, and storytellers in the global gaming industry.
To receive these rankings in consecutive years is a phenomenal achievement. It’s a testament to the dedication of our faculty, the support of our incredible staff, and—most importantly—the boundless creativity and talent of our students. Their work is making waves in the industry, and they graduate ready to shape the future of games.
said Professor Michael Young, Chair of the Games Division.
To accelerate this momentum, the University of Utah has launched the ambitious Press Play initiative—a $25 million (KRW 33 billion) multi-year investment that positions the Games Division as a global hub for research and innovation in gaming. This bold commitment expands the program’s reach beyond education into emerging fields like game-based learning, virtual worlds and immersive environments, game design theory, and artificial intelligence integration.
The Division is helping to define a new interdisciplinary informatics field, blending computational science with the arts, humanities, and social science. Faculty expertise spans every aspect of game development, and the program’s industry partnerships ensure that students engage in a one-of-a-kind, hands-on learning experience.
This practical, future-facing approach has led graduates to successful careers at global companies such as Google, Nintendo, and Blizzard.
In 2023, the Games program launched at the University of Utah Asia Campus (UAC) in Incheon, South Korea, offering students in Korea the opportunity to earn the same U.S. degree and participate in a global academic network. The Asia Campus delivers identical curriculum and instruction to that of the Salt Lake City campus, making it a prime destination for students seeking world-class game education in Asia.
About the University of Utah’s Division of Games:
The Division of Games at the University of Utah is a top-ranked program in video game education and research and is a national leader in the nascent discipline of games. The program is contributing to the definition of a new interdisciplinary informatics field that deeply integrates art, humanities, social science and computational research and practice. Our faculty has expertise in every facet of game creation, and we have consulted with top industry professionals to build a one-of-a-kind learning experience in game development.
*Find more about the Division’s plan for growth by visiting our website.