A modeling, virtual environments and simulation degree prepares graduates for careers in Computer and information research scientists, Software developers, Data scientists and more. 39 colleges and universities offer this program.
Nationally, bachelor’s graduates in this field earn a median $58,894 four years after graduating (middle half: $35,549–$88,211). Where you study it matters: across 54 colleges with reported results, pay ranges from $29,630 to $162,114.
Sort by:
| # | College | 4 yrs after | Wage-adjusted | 1 yr after | Median debt | Outcome Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | $162,114 | $170,930 | $98,117 | $19,230 | A+ |
| 2 | Western Governors University Salt Lake City, UT | $131,198 | $124,345 | $95,292 | $12,566 | C+ |
| 3 | DigiPen Institute of Technology Redmond, WA | $122,375 | $112,559 | $81,885 | $26,924 | B+ |
| 4 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | $115,839 | $105,406 | $103,071 | — | A+ |
| 5 | Wellesley College Wellesley, MA | $98,816 | $87,018 | — | — | A+ |
| 6 | Park University Parkville, MO | $98,256 | $105,351 | — | — | C+ |
| 7 | DePaul University Chicago, IL | $96,616 | $94,925 | $54,859 | $24,999 | B+ |
| 8 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA | $95,430 | $84,036 | $86,193 | $24,656 | A+ |
| 9 | Florida Polytechnic University Lakeland, FL | $92,070 | $97,997 | $61,197 | $7,875 | — |
| 10 | Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY | $88,096 | $83,849 | $69,052 | $27,000 | A |
| 11 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI | $84,809 | $88,248 | $50,796 | $22,939 | C |
| 12 | University of Phoenix-Arizona Phoenix, AZ | $81,636 | $83,882 | $83,476 | $43,911 | F |
| 13 | The New School New York, NY | $75,792 | $72,138 | $29,550 | $25,000 | C |
| 14 | University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, WI | $74,146 | $77,152 | $54,639 | $25,500 | B |
| 15 | Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA | $73,398 | $66,787 | $45,387 | $36,750 | F |
| 17 | University of Washington-Bothell Campus Bothell, WA | $71,462 | $65,730 | $47,112 | $15,000 | A |
| 16 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA | $71,462 | $65,730 | $47,112 | $15,000 | A |
| 18 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA | $69,981 | $63,678 | — | $21,800 | A |
| 19 | Champlain College Burlington, VT | $67,795 | $69,631 | $52,260 | $27,000 | B |
| 20 | University of Silicon Valley San Jose, CA | $67,659 | $61,565 | $37,693 | $31,000 | F |
| 21 | School of Visual Arts New York, NY | $67,483 | $64,230 | $36,272 | $27,000 | D |
| 22 | Full Sail University Winter Park, FL | $66,676 | $70,968 | — | — | D |
| 23 | Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, ID | $65,397 | $69,541 | $49,581 | $9,312 | A |
| 24 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ | $61,892 | $63,595 | $44,645 | $22,198 | B |
| 25 | Utah Valley University Orem, UT | $61,451 | $58,241 | $32,743 | — | B+ |
| 26 | New England Institute of Technology East Greenwich, RI | $60,524 | $59,610 | $36,893 | $31,000 | B |
| 27 | Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA | $60,310 | $61,336 | $41,394 | $26,950 | A |
| 28 | Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX | $59,769 | $60,768 | $35,991 | $19,739 | A |
| 29 | Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN | $59,766 | $64,118 | $38,234 | $20,101 | A+ |
| 30 | Baker College Owosso, MI | $58,655 | $61,845 | $41,784 | $40,744 | F |
| 31 | Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH | $57,772 | $53,214 | $40,882 | $21,771 | C |
| 32 | College of Charleston Charleston, SC | $52,596 | $58,321 | $34,166 | $22,375 | B |
| 33 | Pennsylvania College of Technology Williamsport, PA | $51,764 | $52,644 | $43,144 | $27,970 | B+ |
| 34 | University of Houston Houston, TX | $51,596 | $52,458 | $33,997 | $22,500 | B+ |
| 35 | Wilmington University New Castle, DE | $50,722 | $50,418 | $46,211 | $16,516 | C |
| 37 | Johnson & Wales University-Online Providence, RI | $50,374 | $49,613 | $32,735 | $27,000 | F |
| 36 | Johnson & Wales University-Providence Providence, RI | $50,374 | $49,613 | $32,735 | $27,000 | F |
| 38 | Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO | $48,729 | $52,248 | $51,790 | $23,250 | C |
| 39 | Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design Lakewood, CO | $48,472 | $45,331 | $37,268 | $31,000 | F |
| 48 | DeVry University-Virginia Arlington, VA | $47,440 | $43,198 | $32,159 | $41,879 | C |
| 47 | DeVry University-Texas Irving, TX | $47,440 | $48,233 | $32,159 | $41,879 | D |
| 46 | DeVry University-Ohio Columbus, OH | $47,440 | $50,626 | $32,159 | $41,879 | C |
| 45 | DeVry University-New Jersey Iselin, NJ | $47,440 | $41,637 | $32,159 | $41,879 | F |
| 44 | DeVry University-Illinois Lisle, IL | $47,440 | $46,609 | $32,159 | $41,879 | B |
| 43 | DeVry University-Georgia Decatur, GA | $47,440 | $49,110 | $32,159 | $41,879 | C |
| 42 | DeVry University-Florida Orlando, FL | $47,440 | $50,494 | $32,159 | $41,879 | C |
| 41 | DeVry University-California Ontario, CA | $47,440 | $43,167 | $32,159 | $41,879 | B |
| 40 | DeVry University-Arizona Phoenix, AZ | $47,440 | $48,745 | $32,159 | $41,879 | C |
| 49 | University of Dubuque Dubuque, IA | $46,296 | $48,698 | — | — | C |
| 50 | Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA | $46,104 | $42,406 | $29,046 | $20,296 | C |
| 51 | Lindenwood University Saint Charles, MO | $45,810 | $49,118 | $34,433 | $23,804 | C+ |
| 52 | Dakota State University Madison, SD | $42,513 | $45,761 | $26,379 | $27,000 | C |
| 53 | Berklee College of Music Boston, MA | $40,186 | $35,388 | $19,370 | $24,250 | F |
| 54 | Purdue University Northwest Hammond, IN | $29,630 | $31,788 | $21,532 | — | D |
Bachelor’s degrees. Wage-adjusted = pay ÷ √(state wage index). Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data.
Graduates with this degree pursue careers in the following fields:
Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees awarded. These are the top-rated colleges that produce the most graduates in modeling, virtual environments and simulation.
| # | College | Location | Degrees Awarded | Repit Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | 65 | A |
| 2 | University of California-Irvine | Irvine, CA | 47 | A |
| 3 | University of Maryland-College Park | College Park, MD | 28 | B+ |
| 4 | University of California-Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz, CA | 32 | B |
| 5 | Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester, NY | 185 | C+ |
| 6 | University of Wisconsin-Stout | Menomonie, WI | 66 | C+ |
| 7 | Brigham Young University-Idaho | Rexburg, ID | 50 | C+ |
| 8 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | Perkinston, MS | 34 | C+ |
| 9 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | Cincinnati, OH | 26 | C+ |
| 10 | Academy of Art University | San Francisco, CA | 120 | C |
| 11 | DigiPen Institute of Technology | Redmond, WA | 102 | C |
| 12 | Robert Morris University | Moon Township, PA | 30 | C |
| 13 | Naval Postgraduate School | Monterey, CA | 26 | C |
| 14 | Neumont College of Computer Science | Salt Lake City, UT | 25 | C |
Schools ranked by number of graduates. These institutions produce the most modeling, virtual environments and simulation graduates annually, including online and distance learning programs.
| # | College | Location | Degrees Awarded | Repit Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester, NY | 185 | C+ |
| 2 | Academy of Art University | San Francisco, CA | 120 | C |
| 3 | DigiPen Institute of Technology | Redmond, WA | 102 | C |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-Stout | Menomonie, WI | 66 | C+ |
| 5 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | 65 | A |
| 6 | Brigham Young University-Idaho | Rexburg, ID | 50 | C+ |
| 7 | University of California-Irvine | Irvine, CA | 47 | A |
| 8 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | Perkinston, MS | 34 | C+ |
| 9 | University of California-Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz, CA | 32 | B |
| 10 | Robert Morris University | Moon Township, PA | 30 | C |
| 11 | University of Maryland-College Park | College Park, MD | 28 | B+ |
| 12 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | Cincinnati, OH | 26 | C+ |
| 13 | Naval Postgraduate School | Monterey, CA | 26 | C |
| 14 | Neumont College of Computer Science | Salt Lake City, UT | 25 | C |
Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation is a degree program offered at 39 colleges and universities across the United States. Each year, approximately 1,028 students graduate with this degree.
Graduates with this degree can pursue careers such as computer and information research scientists, software developers, data scientists, special effects artists and animators, computer programmers, and 1 more career paths.