The University of Staffordshire has retained its position as the UK’s top destination for Games Design and Development education, according to The Rookies Global School Rankings 2026. The institute has also risen to first place in the UK for Concept Art.
The Staffordshire Games Institute was ranked 1st in the UK and 13th globally for Games Design and Development, marking the third time in four years it has secured the top national spot in this category. The university's Concept Art course climbed from second place last year to become 1st in the UK and 8th globally.
These rankings are based on student portfolios submitted to the annual Rookie Awards and assessed by industry professionals. This year's results incorporated nearly 7,000 entries, with over 38,000 professional assessments from 115 industry judges, representing students from more than 100 countries across 12 creative disciplines.
Mike Acosta, Course Manager for BA(Hons) Games Art, commented: “It is huge to have retained our Games Design and Development position. As the Rookies is based entirely on student portfolios, there are few measures that really highlight the quality of our teaching better than this. A massive congratulations to the whole of the Staffordshire Games Institute – it’s brilliant to see this recognition.”
Anthony Martin, Course Leader for BA(Hons) Concept Art for Games and Film, added: “I’m incredibly proud to see the Rookies rank our Concept Art course also now ranked number one in the UK. It reflects the exceptional quality of our students' work, and I would like to thank them for their passion that made this possible."
The Rookies rankings evaluate student work based on criteria such as creative ability, technical proficiency, presentation quality, project complexity, range of skills, raw talent, and employment potential. Unlike traditional university rankings, The Rookies focus on the quality of students’ creative output, with schools ranked by the median performance of their students.
The University of Staffordshire is home to the UK’s largest dedicated games education institution, with approximately 1,800 students across its Stoke-on-Trent and London campuses. Students benefit from industry-led projects, live briefs, placements, and collaborations with professional practitioners.
These latest results follow a strong year of accolades for the Staffordshire Games Institute, which recently received the Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) from Advance HE. The Institute also achieved significant success at the TIGA Games Education Awards 2026, winning more categories than any other university, including Outstanding Graduate of the Year awards for Audio and Programming, Excellence in University-Industry Collaboration, and Excellence in Games Research.
Professor Chris Headleand, Head of Staffordshire Games Institute, stated: “The Rookies recognition provides further evidence that we are among the top specialist education providers for games in the world. It showcases the quality of student work produced at Staffordshire Games Institute and our focus on preparing students for careers across the games and creative industries. I truly believe that we have the best team, and we produce the best graduates.”
