Fargo, ND (population: 95,232) has three game development schools within a 100-mile radius of its city center. University of North Dakota, the highest ranked school in this group with a game development program, has a total student population of 13,172. It is the 1377th highest ranked school in the USA and the 5th highest in the state of North Dakota (#1 is University of Mary).
Game Development students from Fargo schools who go on to become game developers, game designers, video game designers, software developers, etc. have a good chance at finding employment. For example, there are 3,390 people working as gaming managers alone in the US, and their average annual salary is $74,030.
Fargo lies in Cass county, which is one of the 32 counties in North Dakota. Overall, the Fargo-MN area has 120,180 total employed workers according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a 2.6% unemployment rate, $17.77/hr average worker wage, and a $36,960 average annual salary.
Of the 3 game development schools with a 100-mile radius of Fargo, only 1 has a student population over 10k. After taking into account tuition, living expenses, and financial aid, Concordia College at Moorhead comes out as the most expensive ($19,311/yr) for game development students, with Minnesota State Community and Technical College as the lowest, reported at only $9,987/yr.
| Name | State | Population | # of Schools | Avg School Rank | Total Programs | Distance from Fargo |
| Moorhead | MN | - | 4 | 25.9555 | 267 | 2.5 miles |
| Grand Forks | ND | 52,135 | 2 | 28.0655 | 156 | 72.9 miles |