Sioux Falls, SD (population: 160,938) has five game schools within a 100-mile radius of its city center. South Dakota State University, the highest ranked school in this group with a game program, has a total student population of 12,376. It is the 1603rd highest ranked school in the USA and the 7th highest in the state of South Dakota (#1 is Augustana College).
Game students from Sioux Falls schools who go on to become game developers, game designers, video game designers, video game 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.
Sioux Falls lies in Minnehaha county, which is one of the 37 counties in South Dakota. Overall, the Sioux Falls area has 134,240 total employed workers according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a 0.8% unemployment rate, $17.23/hr average worker wage, and a $35,840 average annual salary.
Of the 5 game schools with a 100-mile radius of Sioux Falls, only 1 has a student population over 10k. After taking into account tuition, living expenses, and financial aid, Morningside College comes out as the most expensive ($17,039/yr) for game students, with Wayne State College as the lowest, reported at only $8,784/yr.
| Name | State | Population | # of Schools | Avg School Rank | Total Programs | Distance from Sioux Falls |
| Orange City | IA | - | 1 | 27.8622 | 68 | 50.0 miles |
| Brookings | SD | - | 1 | 31.8924 | 109 | 53.5 miles |
| Vermillion | SD | - | 1 | 64.495 | 98 | 53.6 miles |
| Mitchell | SD | - | 2 | 42.657 | 88 | 66.1 miles |
| Sioux City | IA | 83,250 | 6 | 24.3659 | 219 | 74.0 miles |
| Storm Lake | IA | - | 2 | 49.0567 | 85 | 99.0 miles |