Human-Computer Interaction
What you'll do in college
HCI and game design majors sit at the crossroads of computer science, design, and psychology. Coursework includes programming, design, user research methods, cognitive psychology, prototyping, and—for games—game design theory, narrative, and 3D graphics.
Studio classes involve building real interactive prototypes and testing them with users. Many programs are project-based and culminate in a portfolio or a playable game that you can show to employers.
What you'll do after college
Grads become UX designers, UX researchers, product designers, game designers, and game developers at tech companies, design firms, and game studios. The work mixes sketching ideas, building prototypes, running tests, and iterating—much like physical product design but for screens.
UX roles at tech companies pay well; game industry jobs tend to pay less but attract people who love the medium. Some grads continue to grad school in HCI, design, or computer science.
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
By SAT median
Earnings vs. selectivity rank
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human-Computer Interaction | 198 | 5,555 | 58% / 42% | 9% | $80,152 | 95% |
| Informatics | 43 | 1,618 | 59% / 41% | 10% | $85,713 | 95% |
| Game and Interactive Media Design | 52 | 759 | 67% / 33% | 3% | $55,101 | 95% |
| Computer Graphics | 23 | 650 | 47% / 53% | 6% | $63,063 | 95% |
| Human Computer Interaction | 13 | 303 | 53% / 47% | 27% | $85,986 | 96% |
| Human-Centered Technology Design | 7 | 265 | 50% / 50% | 6% | $100,908 | 96% |
| Computer Game Programming | 9 | 229 | 75% / 25% | 3% | $81,018 | 100% |
| Game Design and Development | 3 | 226 | 84% / 16% | 6% | $86,737 | 92% |
| Game Design | 7 | 184 | 67% / 33% | 13% | $67,939 | 84% |
| Web Design | 23 | 116 | 40% / 60% | 9% | $73,102 | 100% |
| Computer Game Science | 1 | 99 | 72% / 28% | 14% | $93,464 | |
| Human Centered Design and Engineering | 1 | 94 | 38% / 62% | 6% | $110,243 | 93% |
| Visualization | 1 | 91 | 30% / 70% | 0% | $60,327 | 94% |
| Computational Media | 1 | 69 | 29% / 71% | 10% | $152,626 | 96% |
| Digital Narrative and Interactive Design | 1 | 66 | 55% / 45% | 6% | $79,386 | |
| Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design | 5 | 64 | 42% / 58% | 6% | $87,537 | 85% |
| Interaction Design | 3 | 54 | 35% / 65% | 67% | $93,212 | 100% |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | 7 | 50 | 56% / 44% | 4% | $106,444 | |
| Human-Centered Design and Development | 1 | 47 | 55% / 45% | 6% | $119,380 | 95% |
| Web Design and Development | 1 | 46 | 48% / 52% | 0% | $83,522 | 93% |
| Web and App Development | 1 | 40 | 38% / 62% | 5% | $86,456 | 97% |
| Immersive Media Design | 1 | 38 | 50% / 50% | 5% | $90,058 | |
| Games + Simulation | 1 | 36 | 69% / 31% | 3% | $94,843 | |
| Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences | 1 | 35 | 66% / 34% | 29% | $82,720 | 92% |
| Game Art | 1 | 28 | 32% / 68% | 7% | $51,171 | 85% |
| Human Systems Engineering | 1 | 28 | 54% / 46% | 4% | $78,240 | |
| User Experience and Interaction Design | 1 | 28 | 61% / 39% | 0% | $107,669 | |
| Simulation and Game Design | 2 | 27 | 74% / 26% | 4% | $71,864 | |
| Computing in the Arts | 1 | 21 | 43% / 57% | 0% | $52,276 | 90% |
| Interactive Media and Games | 1 | 21 | 52% / 48% | 10% | $70,573 | 97% |
| Human Centered Design | 1 | 20 | 25% / 75% | 10% | $129,492 | 100% |
| Web Page and Multimedia Design | 7 | 17 | 18% / 82% | 0% | $68,874 | |
| Computer Game Design | 1 | 17 | 76% / 24% | 0% | $44,202 | 96% |
| Computing and the Arts | 1 | 17 | 29% / 71% | 6% | $205,072 | |
| Computer Science – Animation and Games | 1 | 13 | 62% / 38% | 0% | $96,752 | |
| Digital Entertainment Technology | 1 | 13 | 69% / 31% | 0% | $91,955 | |
| Game Art and Design | 1 | 13 | 62% / 38% | 8% | $71,057 | |
| New Media Interactive Development | 1 | 13 | 77% / 23% | 0% | $108,671 | 100% |
| Web Design and Engineering | 1 | 12 | 58% / 42% | 0% | $100,684 | |
| Interactive Media and Game Development | 1 | 11 | 91% / 9% | 9% | $89,491 | 100% |
| Simulation Science, Games, and Animation | 1 | 11 | 45% / 55% | 0% | $95,471 | |
| Game Design and Simulation | 1 | 10 | 100% / 0% | 10% | $75,577 | |
| Creative Computing | 1 | 8 | 100% / 0% | 25% | $76,405 | |
| Game Development | 2 | 6 | 83% / 17% | 0% | $70,214 | 89% |
| Web and Digital Media Management | 1 | 6 | 67% / 33% | 0% | $71,731 | 96% |
| Computing Exploration | 1 | 5 | 60% / 40% | 20% | $97,454 | 93% |
| Human Technology Interaction | 1 | 5 | 20% / 80% | 60% | $118,390 | |
| Multimedia Computing | 1 | 5 | 80% / 20% | 0% | $66,960 | |
| Web/Multimedia Management and Webmaster | 1 | 5 | 80% / 20% | 0% | $62,319 | |
| Game Arts | 1 | 4 | 25% / 75% | 0% | $54,368 | 86% |
| Game and Interactive Media Design (Dev) | 1 | 4 | 75% / 25% | 0% | $67,520 | |
| Games and Emerging Media | 1 | 4 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $86,240 | |
| UX/UI Design | 1 | 2 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $81,089 | |
| Human-Computer Interaction | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $135,376 | 93% |
| Web and Digital Media Design | 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $74,367 |