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Students playing video games at a computer (Photo by Jim Slife/DePaul University)DePaul University’s
game design programs in the Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media have earned prestigious rankings once again this year from The Princeton Review. As faculty and students celebrate program excellence, they are looking forward to a Spring Quarter stacked with exciting events.
The Princeton Review ranked DePaul’s undergraduate program 28th, moving up six spots from last year. That makes it the No. 6 best program in the Midwest. The graduate program holds steady at 23rd best in the nation, placing it in the top five in the Midwest.
“We are honored by the continued recognition of our programs, including our placement in the 2025 rankings for both our undergraduate and graduate game design tracks. This recognition reflects the collaborative spirit and innovative mindset we strive for as a community,” says Lien Tran, associate professor of game design.
DePaul's strong ranking reflects its faculty’s leadership in student success and industry connections. Earlier this year, the Jarvis Student Center for Innovation and Collaboration hosted industry talks from Chris Figueroa Braff (Apple AR/Apple Vision Pro), William Chyr (Manifold Garden creator), and Miranda Kerr (Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum).
DePaul also sponsored some 50 students to attend the MDEV conference in Wisconsin. This annual event is dedicated to celebrating and advancing the video game development industry in the Midwest. Additionally, CDM recently hosted an MFA in Game Design showcase, highlighting the innovative work of its graduate students.
Spring events build connection, showcase student projects
Looking ahead, Jarvis CDM is holding several related events of interest to the game design community:
- Jarvis Speaker Series: On May 29, AJ Goehle, CEO of Luci Creative, will discuss design and creativity.
- The Jarvis Challenge Showcase on May 21 will highlight student projects and feature alumni panel discussions.
- CDM is also launching the Jarvis Game Development Camp for high school students to learn game creation with Unreal Editor for Fortnite.
- The DePaul Summer Academy program is also back, offering tracks in film/television production, game development, hand-drawn character animation, 3D modeling and animation, and screenwriting. Applications for the Summer Academy are currently open.
To learn more about the game design programs, visit the School of Design website.