[Game & Interactive Media Design](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/game-and-interactive-media-design/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for game & interactive media design students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in game & interactive media design, balancing cost against outcomes.
Leading the list is Arkansas Tech University, our #1 best value for game & interactive media design in Arkansas. Located in the town of Russellville, Arkansas Tech University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,674, with out-of-state students paying around $14,668. Students borrow a median of $28,950 to complete the game & interactive media design program here. Game & Interactive Media Design graduates of Arkansas Tech University earn a median of $20,285 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Arkansas Tech University admits about 96% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Arkansas State University Main Campus earned it the #2 place for game & interactive media design. Arkansas State University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Jonesboro. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,090, compared with $14,522 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for game & interactive media design graduates is $23,399. Soon after graduation, game & interactive media design degree recipients from Arkansas State University Main Campus generally make around $35,970. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
