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Human-Computer Interaction

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

HCI and game design majors sit at the crossroads of computer science, design, and psychology. Coursework includes programming, design, user research methods, cognitive psychology, prototyping, and—for games—game design theory, narrative, and 3D graphics.

Studio classes involve building real interactive prototypes and testing them with users. Many programs are project-based and culminate in a portfolio or a playable game that you can show to employers.

What you'll do after college

Grads become UX designers, UX researchers, product designers, game designers, and game developers at tech companies, design firms, and game studios. The work mixes sketching ideas, building prototypes, running tests, and iterating—much like physical product design but for screens.

UX roles at tech companies pay well; game industry jobs tend to pay less but attract people who love the medium. Some grads continue to grad school in HCI, design, or computer science.

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$66,215
665
100–88%
$75,824
1,468
88–67%
$90,842
1,653
67–41%
$102,008
674
37–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$64,687
561
400–1130
$78,116
1,431
1140–1310
$94,958
1,205
1330–1410
$107,280
508
1410–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings by acceptance rate and institution category

$48,533p10 $104,969p90 STEM, Business & Military Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University 20–30% 10–20% 0–10% Worcester Polytechnic Institute · $97,077 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · $89,619 Rochester Institute of Technology · $107,074 Milwaukee School of Engineering · $104,911 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott · $84,925 Dakota State University · $42,142 Florida Southern College · $60,796 Nazareth University · $54,374 Friends University · $68,911 Champlain College · $79,072 Berry College · $70,927 Drury University · $54,669 Simmons University · $71,963 Edgewood College · $77,539 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor · $54,952 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $126,643 University of Washington · $112,676 Purdue University · $62,540 University of Maryland, College Park · $104,969 Stony Brook University · $74,354 North Carolina A&T State University · $68,577 Texas A&M University - College Station · $63,359 CUNY Brooklyn College · $64,320 University of Houston - Victoria · $65,087 Pennsylvania State University · $136,791 Georgia State University · $70,835 University of Pittsburgh · $86,939 Southern Arkansas University · $37,903 Winthrop University · $67,048 University of North Carolina Wilmington · $79,330 Eastern Michigan University · $51,411 University of Houston - Clear Lake · $57,204 University of Delaware · $83,043 College of Charleston · $60,084 Miami University - Ohio · $83,321 University of Houston · $54,031 Indiana University · $104,524 Purdue University Northwest · $48,533 Kennesaw State University · $79,960 Kent State University at Kent · $65,969 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania · $65,622 University of Utah · $85,831 Michigan State University · $53,961 University of Arizona · $79,143 Boise State University · $75,386 West Virginia University · $63,011 Western Oregon University · $62,537 Northwest Missouri State University · $61,250 Temple University · $70,641 Iowa State University · $95,509 University of Cincinnati · $108,988 Arizona State University · $74,910 Fitchburg State University · $40,143 University of Montana · $62,738 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh · $71,730 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point · $92,912 University of Wisconsin - Stout · $66,180 Chico State · $52,387 Plymouth State University · $55,089 University of Maine at Farmington · $62,410 Lewis-Clark State College · $63,693 University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth · $69,020 University of Colorado Colorado Springs · $89,335 Arkansas Tech University · $40,274 Utah Valley University · $71,384 Weber State University · $85,016 Santa Clara University · $118,741 Azusa Pacific University · $54,621 Loyola University New Orleans · $40,757 William Peace University · $37,842 LeTourneau University · $67,091 Charleston Southern University · $65,935 Emmanuel University · $60,043 High Point University · $65,955 Biola University · $55,919 Albright College · $49,251 Merrimack College · $76,878 Sacred Heart University · $73,098 Brigham Young University · $114,366 College of Our Lady of the Elms · $56,014 Abilene Christian University · $70,491 Baldwin Wallace University · $66,989 University of Dubuque · $51,175 Louisiana Christian University · $62,532 Touro University · $26,915 Lebanon Valley College · $70,251 Trevecca Nazarene University · $67,541 Samford University · $63,178 University of Mount Union · $72,748 Houston Christian University · $66,289 St. John's University - New York · $57,483 Heidelberg University · $56,018 DePaul University · $91,219 Freed-Hardeman University · $66,516 Northwest University · $58,610 Palm Beach Atlantic University · $50,843 Gwynedd Mercy University · $65,729 Indiana Wesleyan University · $26,982 Saint Edward's University · $60,389 University of the Incarnate Word · $55,014 Hardin-Simmons University · $55,311 Lubbock Christian University · $59,433 Southwest Baptist University · $65,688 Brigham Young University - Idaho · $65,602 University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne · $57,419 Grand View University · $45,114 Marist University · $71,454 Lindenwood University · $54,081 Indiana Institute of Technology · $60,437 Bradley University · $83,384 Drexel University · $40,629 New York Institute of Technology · $48,005 Tiffin University · $68,599 Thomas Jefferson University · $58,095 Rider University · $62,744 Butler University · $74,846 Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus · $65,257 New England College · $40,274 University of Denver · $65,845 Long Island University · $62,001 Webster University · $41,756 Robert Morris University · $68,356 University of Hartford · $36,583 Bellevue University · $97,493 Wilmington University · $49,977 University of California, Irvine · $95,232 Tufts University · $117,073 Carnegie Mellon University · $131,756 University of Southern California · $93,010 Northeastern University · $73,344 University of Miami · $87,770 Georgia Tech · $152,220 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor · $139,354 Yale University · $119,609 Duke University · $156,562 New York University · $78,889 Colby College · $119,974 STEM, Business & Military: mean $87,625 Liberal Arts: mean $65,911 Public University: mean $73,109 Religious University: mean $62,300 Private University: mean $60,517 20–30%: mean $95,232 10–20%: mean $113,504 0–10%: mean $118,759 All colleges: p10 $48,533 All colleges: p90 $104,969
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Human-Computer Interaction 153 4,460 58% / 42% 8% $84,908 94%
Informatics 4 839 55% / 45% 13% $123,828 97%
Game and Interactive Media Design 42 657 69% / 31% 4% $57,604 94%
Computer Graphics 21 626 47% / 53% 6% $58,148 93%
Human-Centered Technology Design 7 265 50% / 50% 6% $88,412 94%
Human Computer Interaction 11 255 54% / 46% 25% $85,742 98%
Computer Game Programming 9 229 75% / 25% 3% $72,138 93%
Game Design and Development 3 226 84% / 16% 6% $89,803 94%
Game Design 7 184 67% / 33% 13% $74,106 88%
Computer Game Science 1 99 72% / 28% 14% $92,307
Human Centered Design and Engineering 1 94 38% / 62% 6% $111,956 94%
Visualization 1 91 30% / 70% 0% $63,359 94%
Web Design 21 81 46% / 54% 6% $66,442 94%
Computational Media 1 69 29% / 71% 10% $152,220 96%
Digital Narrative and Interactive Design 1 66 55% / 45% 6% $86,939
Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design 5 64 42% / 58% 6% $73,017 88%
Computer Software and Media Applications 7 50 56% / 44% 4% $71,883 92%
Human-Centered Design and Development 1 47 55% / 45% 6% $136,791 97%
Web Design and Development 1 46 48% / 52% 0% $83,522 93%
Web and App Development 1 40 38% / 62% 5% $65,602 85%
Immersive Media Design 1 38 50% / 50% 5% $104,969
Games + Simulation 1 36 69% / 31% 3% $83,321
Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences 1 35 66% / 34% 29% $89,619 88%
Human Systems Engineering 1 28 54% / 46% 4% $74,910
User Experience and Interaction Design 1 28 61% / 39% 0% $56,882
Simulation and Game Design 2 27 74% / 26% 4% $65,453
Computing in the Arts 1 21 43% / 57% 0% $60,084 86%
Interactive Media and Games 1 21 52% / 48% 10% $87,096 91%
Human Centered Design 1 20 25% / 75% 10% $129,492 100%
Web Page and Multimedia Design 6 17 18% / 82% 0% $68,612 94%
Computer Game Design 1 17 76% / 24% 0% $42,142 96%
Computing and the Arts 1 17 29% / 71% 6% $119,609
Computer Science – Animation and Games 1 13 62% / 38% 0% $114,366
Digital Entertainment Technology 1 13 69% / 31% 0% $70,491
New Media Interactive Development 1 13 77% / 23% 0% $108,671 100%
Web Design and Engineering 1 12 58% / 42% 0% $118,741
Interactive Media and Game Development 1 11 91% / 9% 9% $94,651 94%
Simulation Science, Games, and Animation 1 11 45% / 55% 0% $84,925
Game Design and Simulation 1 10 100% / 0% 10% $65,087
Game Development 2 6 83% / 17% 0% $66,468 89%
Web and Digital Media Management 1 6 67% / 33% 0% $71,730 96%
Computing Exploration 1 5 60% / 40% 20% $106,976 96%
Human Technology Interaction 1 5 20% / 80% 60% $117,848
Multimedia Computing 1 5 80% / 20% 0% $64,320
Web/Multimedia Management and Webmaster 1 5 80% / 20% 0% $68,536
Games and Emerging Media 1 4 100% / 0% 0% $75,909
Interaction Design 1 4 75% / 25% 0% $70,251
UX/UI Design 1 2 0% / 100% 0% $68,551
Human-Computer Interaction 1 1 100% / 0% 0% $131,756 95%
Web and Digital Media Design 1 1 0% / 100% 0% $77,539
Web Development 2 0 $61,108 100%
Games and Playable Media 1 0 $58,329 100%