CANADA | TOP game SCHOOLS

2023 CANADA RANKING: WHAT ARE THE BEST GAME SCHOOLs?

MEGA - MIGS students talk to indie studios

MEGAMIGS (2019)

An attractive country

Canada is home to a thriving video game industry. 

With nearly 30,000 people working there, Canada has become a major industry stronghold over the past 15 years. Montreal especially has a growing number of large and indie studios.

Over 200 studios and 50 schools examined in our rankings

As with the US ranking, Canada required the careful analysis of more than 2,000 alumni profiles from some 50 schools.

The result is a precise overview of their studies and their careers in more than 200 video game studios.

  ☆ TOP 5 CANADiAn Game Schools ☆ 

TOP 5 STUDIOs

for hiring young talent in Canada 

from 2017-2021

☆ game schools top 5 CANADA ☆ 

#1 école NAD-UQAC

Montreal, Quebec

The NAD-UQAC School, Ecole Nationale d'Art Numérique, de l'Animation et du Design, created in 1992 and affiliated with UQAC since 2008, offers four video game training courses focused on game design and game art. 


ACADEMICS:


GAME PROTOTYPES AND COMPETITIONS:

Potent Rodent (2021). Best Art Direction and Production at the Game Lab Competition - Ubisoft Montréal 2021.


Chroma (2021). Multiplayer top down game. Best Quality of the “3Cs” (camera, characters, controls) at the Game Lab Competition - Ubisoft Montréal 2021.

STUDENT PROFILES:

The NAD-UQAC School trains digital artists and the vast majority of its graduates who have entered the video game industry since 2016 hold a Bachelor's degree in 3D animation and digital design.


RECRUITMENT:

The main NAD-UQAC recruiters since 2016 are: 



Jobs held in game studios by 2016-2020 graduates : 

#2 Isart digital

Montreal, Quebec

 ACADEMICS:



GAME PROTOTYPES AND COMPETITIONS:

Blood Spear (2021). Epic third person adventure game. Classic action gameplay served by beautiful monumental architecture. End of year project - class of 2021. 


Vella Astralis (2021). Single player driving adventure video game.

STUDENT PROFILES:

62% of ISART alumni who graduated from 2016-2020 and were recruited into video game production earned a diploma in Game Design, 28% in 3D Film, 12% in Game Programming, and 3% in Game Data Analyst.


RECRUITMENT:

The main Isart Digital's recruiters since 2016 are:  



Among 38 employers, 17% of these alumni hold technical functions (all programmers) and 27% artistic functions, mainly as game artists. Game designers represent the majority of profiles with 51%.


#3 Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning

Oakville, Ontario

 ACADEMICS:


GAME PROTOTYPES AND COMPETITIONS:


Hoag’s End (2021). Multiplayer real-time strategy battle game with sophisticated gameplay and aesthetics.


Space Shepherd (2021). Presented at the showcase of games made during the summer of 2021 by Game Level Design and Game Development Advance Programming students.

STUDENT PROFILES:

Of the Sheridan graduates recruited in video game production since 2016, 67% hold a Bachelor's degree, 35% a Certificate and 1% an Advanced Diploma. 


RECRUITMENT:

The main Sheridan College's recruiters since 2016 are:  



Since 2016, the Sheridan graduates who were recruited by 69 video game employers have held technical functions (27% - all programmers) and artistic functions (30%). Game designers are hired for 39% of these positions.


Space Shepherd (2021)

#4 Uqat, université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec

 ACADEMICS:


GAME PROTOTYPES AND COMPETITIONS:

Evo\Wave (2021). Colorful 3D platform game inspired by the synthwave of the 1980s. An opportunity to evolve through the different periods and graphic styles of the history of video games.


Veneficium (2021). This survival and horror game, with particularly realistic graphics, succeeds brilliantly in creating an atmosphere of strong anguish.

STUDENT PROFILES:

Almost all of the graduates who have entered the video game industry since 2016 hold a bachelor's degree (67% in video game creation and 28% in 3D creation) with 6% having a certificate and 4% a master's degree.


RECRUITMENT:

The main UQAT's recruiters since 2016 are:  


More broadly, 6% of these alumni recruited by 35 employers hold technical positions (all programmers) and 55% hold artistic positions, mainly game artists. Game designers represent 28%.


#5 UQAC - Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

Chicoutimi, Quebec

UQAC offers three video game training courses that focus mainly on programming. It attracts many foreign students, most of whom are French and have a scientific background.


ACADEMICS:


GAME PROTOTYPES AND COMPETITIONS:


Spook’n Splash (2021). Cooperative top down shooter, winner of two awards for the Best Technical Challenge and Innovation and the Best User Experience at the Game Lab Competition - Ubisoft Montréal 2021.


Moonstone Kingdom (2021). Hack'n'slash with beautiful graphic qualities realized in 12 weeks by 7 students in the course Laboratory of video games of Master in computer science.

STUDENT PROFILES:

UQAC attracts a large number of international students to its video game programs. Since 2016, half of UQAC graduates recruited into the video game industry have been international students, mainly from France. The university also prepares a significant proportion of graduate students (45% of video game graduates earn Master’s degrees). 

30% of UQAC's video game graduates hold a double degree in partnership with a foreign engineering school. These degrees come most often from French schools in the field of computer science. 


RECRUITMENT:

The main UQAC's recruiters since 2016 are:  


Looking broadly at the UQAC graduates since 2016 who work in 58 video game companies, 82% hold technical positions (including 80% of programmers/developers), 2% hold artistic positions (all game artists), and 9% are game designers. 

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