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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

$69,224
641
100–85%
$80,629
1,508
84–67%
$85,093
1,411
67–41%
$104,519
647
37–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$70,373
508
400–1150
$74,573
1,226
1150–1310
$91,342
1,253
1310–1410
$115,091
468
1410–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$48,567p10 $102,398p90 STEM, Business & Military Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University Top 61–100 Top 21–60 Top 20 Rochester Institute of Technology · $98,105 Milwaukee School of Engineering · $80,885 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott · $95,471 Dakota State University · $44,202 Florida Southern College · $72,944 Nazareth University · $67,560 Champlain College · $63,830 Drury University · $54,670 Simmons University · $75,127 Edgewood College · $74,367 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor · $64,644 North Carolina A&T State University · $68,714 CUNY Brooklyn College · $66,960 University of Houston - Victoria · $75,577 Georgia State University · $75,639 University of Pittsburgh · $79,386 Southern Arkansas University · $37,903 University of North Carolina Wilmington · $86,574 Eastern Michigan University · $51,409 University of Delaware · $70,378 College of Charleston · $52,276 Miami University - Ohio · $94,843 University of Houston · $56,315 Indiana University · $90,981 Purdue University Northwest · $29,645 Chico State · $43,710 Fitchburg State University · $40,142 Kennesaw State University · $86,366 Temple University · $83,101 Kent State University at Kent · $66,698 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania · $71,898 University of Utah · $109,849 Michigan State University · $53,546 Arkansas Tech University · $45,839 University of Arizona · $64,262 University of Cincinnati · $95,861 West Virginia University · $63,935 Western Oregon University · $63,901 Northwest Missouri State University · $81,242 Arizona State University · $78,240 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh · $71,731 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point · $70,209 University of Wisconsin - Stout · $54,257 University of Maine at Farmington · $65,473 Lewis-Clark State College · $64,316 University of Colorado Colorado Springs · $89,336 Utah Valley University · $67,986 Weber State University · $81,446 Azusa Pacific University · $56,384 Loyola University New Orleans · $54,592 William Peace University · $40,612 LeTourneau University · $74,590 Emmanuel University · $64,923 High Point University · $62,287 Biola University · $59,265 Albright College · $44,044 Sacred Heart University · $73,422 Brigham Young University · $96,752 College of Our Lady of the Elms · $66,747 Abilene Christian University · $91,955 Baldwin Wallace University · $67,032 University of Dubuque · $48,567 Louisiana Christian University · $62,591 Touro University · $77,266 Lebanon Valley College · $67,625 Trevecca Nazarene University · $86,805 University of Mount Union · $61,360 Samford University · $63,181 Houston Christian University · $70,534 St. John's University - New York · $57,483 Heidelberg University · $53,893 DePaul University · $79,737 Freed-Hardeman University · $74,063 Palm Beach Atlantic University · $69,587 Gwynedd Mercy University · $92,061 Indiana Wesleyan University · $26,983 Saint Edward's University · $43,564 University of the Incarnate Word · $53,641 Northwest University · $66,153 Brigham Young University - Idaho · $86,456 University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne · $49,001 Grand View University · $56,215 Marist University · $65,073 Lindenwood University · $52,963 Indiana Institute of Technology · $65,954 Bradley University · $82,751 Drexel University · $107,250 New York Institute of Technology · $79,019 Tiffin University · $62,319 Butler University · $90,090 Thomas Jefferson University · $70,335 Rider University · $63,248 New England College · $40,182 University of Denver · $65,837 Long Island University · $74,462 Webster University · $41,757 Robert Morris University · $80,785 University of Hartford · $66,868 University of Miami · $71,526 University of Washington · $111,034 Texas A&M University - College Station · $60,327 Pennsylvania State University · $119,380 University of California, Irvine · $102,398 Stony Brook University · $81,916 Santa Clara University · $100,684 Worcester Polytechnic Institute · $86,123 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · $82,720 University of Southern California · $79,769 Tufts University · $117,883 New York University · $57,497 Northeastern University · $89,338 Georgia Tech · $152,626 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor · $149,173 Purdue University · $55,293 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $139,866 University of Maryland, College Park · $90,058 Colby College · $120,847 Yale University · $205,072 Duke University · $187,579 Carnegie Mellon University · $135,376 STEM, Business & Military: mean $79,666 Liberal Arts: mean $67,592 Public University: mean $68,917 Religious University: mean $64,687 Private University: mean $69,306 Top 61–100: mean $90,679 Top 21–60: mean $105,235 Top 20: mean $176,009 All colleges: p10 $48,567 All colleges: p90 $102,398
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% $85,612 95%
Informatics 4 839 55% / 45% 13% $115,215 95%
Game and Interactive Media Design 42 657 69% / 31% 4% $56,292 95%
Computer Graphics 21 626 47% / 53% 6% $63,470 96%
Human-Centered Technology Design 7 265 50% / 50% 6% $100,908 96%
Human Computer Interaction 11 255 54% / 46% 25% $84,342 95%
Computer Game Programming 9 229 75% / 25% 3% $81,018 100%
Game Design and Development 3 226 84% / 16% 6% $86,737 92%
Game Design 7 184 67% / 33% 13% $67,939 84%
Computer Game Science 1 99 72% / 28% 14% $93,464
Human Centered Design and Engineering 1 94 38% / 62% 6% $110,243 93%
Visualization 1 91 30% / 70% 0% $60,327 94%
Web Design 21 81 46% / 54% 6% $73,042 100%
Computational Media 1 69 29% / 71% 10% $152,626 96%
Digital Narrative and Interactive Design 1 66 55% / 45% 6% $79,386
Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design 5 64 42% / 58% 6% $87,537 85%
Computer Software and Media Applications 7 50 56% / 44% 4% $106,444
Human-Centered Design and Development 1 47 55% / 45% 6% $119,380 95%
Web Design and Development 1 46 48% / 52% 0% $83,522 93%
Web and App Development 1 40 38% / 62% 5% $86,456 97%
Immersive Media Design 1 38 50% / 50% 5% $90,058
Games + Simulation 1 36 69% / 31% 3% $94,843
Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences 1 35 66% / 34% 29% $82,720 92%
Human Systems Engineering 1 28 54% / 46% 4% $78,240
User Experience and Interaction Design 1 28 61% / 39% 0% $107,669
Simulation and Game Design 2 27 74% / 26% 4% $71,864
Computing in the Arts 1 21 43% / 57% 0% $52,276 90%
Interactive Media and Games 1 21 52% / 48% 10% $70,573 97%
Human Centered Design 1 20 25% / 75% 10% $129,492 100%
Web Page and Multimedia Design 6 17 18% / 82% 0% $70,564
Computer Game Design 1 17 76% / 24% 0% $44,202 96%
Computing and the Arts 1 17 29% / 71% 6% $205,072
Computer Science – Animation and Games 1 13 62% / 38% 0% $96,752
Digital Entertainment Technology 1 13 69% / 31% 0% $91,955
New Media Interactive Development 1 13 77% / 23% 0% $108,671 100%
Web Design and Engineering 1 12 58% / 42% 0% $100,684
Interactive Media and Game Development 1 11 91% / 9% 9% $89,491 100%
Simulation Science, Games, and Animation 1 11 45% / 55% 0% $95,471
Game Design and Simulation 1 10 100% / 0% 10% $75,577
Game Development 2 6 83% / 17% 0% $70,214 89%
Web and Digital Media Management 1 6 67% / 33% 0% $71,731 96%
Computing Exploration 1 5 60% / 40% 20% $97,454 93%
Human Technology Interaction 1 5 20% / 80% 60% $118,390
Multimedia Computing 1 5 80% / 20% 0% $66,960
Web/Multimedia Management and Webmaster 1 5 80% / 20% 0% $62,319
Games and Emerging Media 1 4 100% / 0% 0% $86,240
Interaction Design 1 4 75% / 25% 0% $67,625
UX/UI Design 1 2 0% / 100% 0% $81,089
Human-Computer Interaction 1 1 100% / 0% 0% $135,376 93%
Web and Digital Media Design 1 1 0% / 100% 0% $74,367