Computer Games programs in Ontario
21 programs across 12 campuses, with published admission ranges starting at 65%. Sorted by the range each one publishes, lowest first, so you can see where you land.
Programs
21
Campuses
12
Lowest range
65%
What this leads to
The picture for computer games as of 2026-08-17, not a description of this particular program.
Game designers average $69,950 in Canada, designing game systems and narratives. Programmers, artists, and technical leads build the code, visuals, and tools that bring games to life at studios like Ubisoft, Relic Entertainment, and Gameloft.
In its favour
- Job postings exist: Canada has hundreds of live game dev roles as of 2026
- Creative and technical skills both valued: you're not locked into pure coding or pure art
- Large Canadian studios in Montreal and Vancouver mean local job markets and senior positions for those who stay
- AI tools are making prototyping faster, so your early projects can look more polished
Worth knowing
- Entry level is saturated: most positions ask for 1-2 years of experience minimum, making that first job harder
- 52% of game industry professionals now say generative AI is harming the field, up from 30% a year ago—the mood in studios is skeptical
- Crunch and tight deadlines are standard; balancing creative vision with technical constraints and budget limitations is difficult as projects evolve
- Modest starting salaries: contract and freelance work pay as little as $12.85–$36.25 per hour, even in Toronto
How AI is changing this work
97% of developers now use AI-assisted tools for asset creation, and teams use AI for ideation, testing, and prototyping instead of building everything manually. This is real—not coming. AI significantly cuts the time and money spent on creating levels, characters, and dialogue. But AI cannot yet replace specialized human skill sets, and human creativity still defines what makes a game memorable. What's changing is the job: you'll be directing AI tools rather than building everything from scratch, which means different skills matter more (knowing what you want, art direction, systems thinking) and some routine tasks matter less. The field is not being automated away, but entry-level grunt work is.
Where this came from (6 sources)
- 1. Video Game Developer in Canada | Available jobs - Job Bank
- 2. 81 game programmer jobs in Canada, June 2026 | Glassdoor
- 3. Video Game Designer Salary in Canada in 2026 | PayScale
- 4. $12-$55/hr Video Game Jobs in Toronto, ON (NOW HIRING)
- 5. 647 game developer jobs in Canada, July 2026 | Glassdoor
- 6. Video Game Jobs in Canada: 1,000+ Open Roles
All 21 programs
- 65%AlgomaComputer Science – Computer Games Technology (BCOSC 4 year)
- 65%AlgomaComputer Science – Computer Games Technology/Creative Arts (BCOSC 4 year)
- 65%AlgomaComputer Science (BCOSC 4 year)
- 70–75%WindsorComputer Science
- 70%LaurentianComputer Science – Game Design
- 70%LakeheadComputer Science (co-op available) (Thunder Bay and Barrie)
- 73–80%YorkDigital Media (BA) - School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- 73–80%YorkDigital Media (BA) – Lassonde School of Engineering
- 73–77%Ontario TechInformation Technology - Game Development and Interactive Media
- 73–77%BrockInteractive Arts and Digital Media
- 73–80%York (Glendon)Professional Translation (BA, iBA)
- 75%LaurentianConcurrent Education with Sports Administration – Junior/Intermediate
- 75%LaurentianSports Administration
- 80–85%CarletonComputer Science
- 80–87%WesternComputer Science
- 80–83%BrockGame Design
- 80–83%BrockGame Programming
- 80–87%WesternScience
- 90–97%WaterlooComputer Science (Regular/Co-op)
- —OCADIndustrial Design
- —OCADIntegrated Media
Other subjects
- Business Studies 203
- Interdisciplinary Studies 187
- Computer Science 135
- Education Studies 117
- Environmental Studies 116
- Psychology 109
- General or Integrated Engineering 104
- Law & Criminology 101
- Media and Communication Studies 98
- Economics 95
- Biological Sciences 92
- Others in Subjects Related to Medicine 92
Ranges are what universities publish, not guaranteed cutoffs. Work out your top 6 to see which of these you actually clear.