A little more than a decade ago, the Princeton Review decided gaming was more than just a hobby, it could be a career.
The Princeton Review developed its Top Schools for Game Design project in 2010 — with guidance from a national advisory board the company formed to help design the project survey and ranking methodology — to recognize schools that were winning in their efforts.
Last week, for the fifth consecutive year, the Princeton Review named Bloomfield College to its Top 50 overall list in the country. The school, ranked No. 35, was the only New Jersey school to make the list.
Bloomfield College awards a Bachelor of Arts in game design.
“We enthusiastically recommend Bloomfield College — and all of the outstanding schools on our list for 2023 — to students considering a career in the exciting field of game design,” Rob Franek, editor-in-chief for the Princeton Review, said.
“The schools have first-rate programs in game design. Their facilities are state-of-the-art, and their alumni include many of the industry’s most successful artists, designers, developers and entrepreneurs.”
The Princeton Review said it chose the schools based on its 2022 survey of administrators at 150 institutions across the U.S. and abroad offering game design courses, majors or degree programs. The survey collected information in four areas: academics, faculty, technology and career prospects. The company analyzed more than 40 survey data points to tally the rankings. Information on the methodology may be viewed on the Princeton Review website.
The Bloomfield College program, which is within the Creative Arts & Technology Division at the school, is a practice-orientated program focused on core principles, concepts, methodologies and skills that are reinforced through the creation of hands-on projects.
Many courses also involve students working on collaborative team-based projects that mimic real-world game development environments. Theoretical knowledge and practical methods converge within these environments to provide students with the experience they need to truly understand and overcome the complexities involved in making games.
G.J. Lee, coordinator of game development and an associate professor, said the program works best because it works together.
“The CAT Division is a community that provides an environment where students practice game development holistically, challenge themselves as creatives and expand upon what games can mean,” he said. “We’re grateful to our students, faculty and staff for making this recognition possible.”
Michael Palladino, the dean of faculty and vice president for academic affairs, said the school is honored to again be recognized.
“Continued recognition by the Princeton Review is a great acknowledgment of the quality of our game design program, the innovative work of faculty such as Professor Lee, and the accomplishments of our talented students,” he said.
