Human-Computer Interaction
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
By SAT median
Earnings vs. selectivity rank
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | 5yr Earn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human-Computer Interaction | 159 | 3,683 | 62% / 38% | 11% | $75,427 |
| Game and Interactive Media Design | 51 | 712 | 71% / 29% | 3% | $53,859 |
| Computer Graphics | 25 | 578 | 46% / 54% | 13% | $51,287 |
| Computer Game Programming | 8 | 302 | 81% / 19% | 19% | $75,806 |
| Human Computer Interaction | 12 | 210 | 58% / 42% | 29% | $99,432 |
| Human-Centered Technology Design | 4 | 183 | 46% / 54% | 9% | $99,775 |
| Game Design and Development | 3 | 182 | 85% / 15% | 5% | $92,408 |
| Game Design | 9 | 179 | 70% / 30% | 15% | $74,373 |
| Games and Playable Media | 1 | 147 | 61% / 39% | 4% | |
| Computer Science in Real-Time Interactive Simulation | 1 | 93 | 81% / 19% | 29% | |
| Web Design | 14 | 82 | 43% / 57% | 7% | $77,430 |
| Visualization | 1 | 77 | 40% / 60% | 1% | $59,754 |
| Computational Media | 1 | 76 | 33% / 67% | 5% | $178,889 |
| Human Centered Design and Engineering | 1 | 74 | 42% / 58% | 22% | $148,617 |
| Computer Game Science | 1 | 49 | 80% / 20% | 18% | |
| Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design | 5 | 48 | 48% / 52% | 6% | $103,332 |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | 4 | 47 | 77% / 23% | 9% | |
| Human-Centered Design and Development | 1 | 45 | 56% / 44% | 13% | $130,869 |
| Interaction Design | 3 | 43 | 30% / 70% | 60% | |
| Web and App Development | 1 | 41 | 51% / 49% | 10% | $94,069 |
| Digital Narrative and Interactive Design | 1 | 40 | 48% / 52% | 12% | |
| Web Design and Development | 1 | 40 | 62% / 38% | 0% | |
| Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences | 1 | 39 | 79% / 21% | 15% | |
| Game Art | 1 | 35 | 51% / 49% | 9% | $49,686 |
| Interactive Media and Games | 1 | 28 | 50% / 50% | 14% | $70,750 |
| Simulation and Game Design | 2 | 27 | 78% / 22% | 0% | |
| Human-Computer Interaction | 1 | 27 | 85% / 15% | 15% | |
| 3D Art and Simulation | 1 | 25 | 88% / 12% | 0% | |
| Human Systems Engineering | 1 | 25 | 44% / 56% | 4% | |
| User Experience and Interaction Design | 1 | 23 | 43% / 57% | 4% | |
| Computing in the Arts | 1 | 21 | 67% / 33% | 0% | |
| Human Centered Design | 1 | 21 | 43% / 57% | 19% | $130,759 |
| Computer Science – Animation and Games | 1 | 16 | 69% / 31% | 0% | |
| Web Design and Engineering | 1 | 15 | 47% / 53% | 0% | |
| Game Design and Simulation | 1 | 14 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Computing and the Arts | 1 | 11 | 27% / 73% | 0% | |
| Creative Computing | 1 | 11 | 64% / 36% | 9% | |
| Digital Entertainment Technology | 1 | 11 | 55% / 45% | 9% | |
| Game Art and Design | 1 | 11 | 64% / 36% | 0% | |
| Web Development | 3 | 10 | 40% / 60% | 0% | |
| Simulation Science, Games, and Animation | 1 | 9 | 44% / 56% | 0% | |
| Game Development | 2 | 8 | 75% / 25% | 0% | |
| Computer Game Design | 1 | 8 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $46,843 |
| Games and Emerging Media | 1 | 8 | 100% / 0% | 12% | |
| Computing Exploration | 1 | 6 | 33% / 67% | 0% | $92,408 |
| Interactive Media and Game Development | 1 | 6 | 67% / 33% | 0% | |
| Web and Digital Media Management | 1 | 6 | 17% / 83% | 0% | |
| Web/Multimedia Management and Webmaster | 1 | 5 | 60% / 40% | 0% | |
| UX/UI Design | 1 | 4 | 100% / 0% | 25% | |
| Game Arts | 1 | 2 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $54,996 |
| Human Technology Interaction | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Multimedia Computing | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Web and Digital Media Design | 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% |