The University of Central Florida announced on Mar. 24 that its graduate and undergraduate video game design programs have been recognized among the top in the world for 2026 by The Princeton Review and PC Gamer. The Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) was named the No. 2 graduate program globally, while the Games and Interactive Media (GaIM) undergraduate program rose to No. 3, its highest ranking to date.
These rankings highlight UCF’s continued role in preparing students for careers in gaming and related industries such as modeling, simulation, training, and medical technology. Many GaIM graduates enter the workforce directly after graduation or pursue further education at FIEA before starting their careers. FIEA graduates report an average starting salary of $83,000.
Nicholas Zuccarello, a FIEA instructor with industry experience at Sony Online Entertainment and Electronic Arts Tiburon, said: “Our program intentionally emulates a collaborative ecosystem with a range of diverse talent in artists, designers and programmers, which is crucial to developing products and intellectual property.”
Located near major studios like Electronic Arts (EA) and Iron Galaxy Studios in Orlando’s Creative Village district, UCF’s programs offer students opportunities to transition from college to career within a growing tech hub. Since its first class in 2006, FIEA has graduated over 1,160 students—about 100 of whom contributed to popular games released in the U.S. during 2025.
Associate Professor Peter Smith said: “Our students don’t just make games, they develop the creative and technical fluency to work wherever those skills are needed.” Nitin Bakshi added: “These companies rely on artists, designers and programmers who understand real-time production…that is exactly the kind of training our program is built around.”
Interest in these programs continues to grow; FIEA recently received more than 200 applicants resulting in its largest cohort yet with 90 new enrollees. Eighty percent of graduates find jobs in their desired fields at over 400 companies worldwide.
According to NewZoo’s Global Games Market Report for 2025 cited by UCF officials during their announcement, global gaming hardware and software sales now exceed $189 billion—surpassing both music and movie industries combined.
The Princeton Review’s methodology surveyed administrators at over 150 schools worldwide offering game design courses or degrees using more than forty data points covering academics, faculty credentials, technology resources as well as career preparation.
