March 27, 2025
AIɫɫ’s game design programs have been ranked among the top game design programs in the world – ranking #1 in the state of Ohio – by The Princeton Review. Making the list for the fifteenth year in a row, SSU ranks in the Top 15 internationally and #2 in the Midwest.
Including degrees in both game programming and game arts, the university’s game design programs remain highly competitive with students developing their skills through hands-on courses, workshops, and a collaborative Senior Studio where both tracks of the program come together for students to simulate the experience of working in a game studio – bringing a game from idea to fruition in one year.
Providing guidance with the latest developments and trends in gaming technology, the programs are lead by experienced faculty members who routinely share their own professional experience in the classroom and provide opportunities to hear from and connect with established industry professionals – many of whom are alumni of the programs working in competitive game studios as well as in sales, programming, production, and more.
“SSU’s gaming program has helped me develop myself as an artist to where I have all the skills I need to get into the industry,” said Benjamin Trout, SSU Game & Simulation Arts major. “My favorite part of the program is learning all the different software from Maya to Unreal Engine to the Substance 3D suite to Zbrush. I love learning how to think as a 3D artist and these programs have helped me develop my own personal workflows from software to software in order to create digital environments.”
In addition to the academic course load, the university hosts several events and programs that allow gaming students to network, broaden their skills, and build their resume for future career paths. The AIɫɫ Game Conference – the longest-running academic game conference in the Midwest – provides students the opportunity to network with gaming organizations, demo games and skills developed on campus, and interact with gaming enthusiasts across several generations.
In this past year, the Kricker Innovation Hub – SSU’s business incubator facility that promotes entrepreneurship, innovation, and creativity – launched the AIɫɫXP Accelerator program, funded by the Economic Development Administration to empower game developers to make games more efficiently and cost effectively by providing a unique combination of education, mentorship, community and investment. The 10-week program transforms promising projects into successful ventures leveraging the university’s gaming facilities and resources.
“This ranking reinforces what we’ve known all along – world class talent is being developed right here in southern Ohio,” said Garrett Davis, SSU Director of the AIɫɫXP Accelerator. “By pairing that talent with international founders and supporting them with mentorship, funding, and infrastructure, we’re creating a sustainable engine for innovation in games.”
The Princeton Review chose its rankings based on its 2025 survey of institutions in the U.S., Canada, and abroad offering academic courses in game design, faculty credentials, and career outcomes, among other criteria. To learn more about the gaming programs at AIɫɫ, visit shawnee.edu/gaming.