University of Staffordshire has retained its position as the UK’s top destination for games design, while climbing the global rankings for Concept Art.
The latest Rookies Global School Rankings place Staffordshire Games Institute first in the UK and 13thglobally for Games Design and Development education, marking the third time in four years it has claimed the top UK spot in the category.
It also rose from second to first in the UK for Concept Art, ranking eighth globally.
The rankings are based on student portfolios submitted to the annual Rookie Awards and assessed by professionals working across the creative industries.
This year, almost 7,000 entries were received with more than 38,000 professional assessments from 115 industry judges. Students from more than 100 countries were represented across 12 creative disciplines.
Professor Chris Headleand, Head of Staffordshire Games Institute, said: “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.”
The rankings have been released as the institute celebrates success at the 2026 TIGA Games Education Awards, where it recently won four awards, more than any other university.
The honours included two Outstanding Graduate of the Year awards, Excellence in Games Research and Excellence in University-Industry Collaboration.
James Day was named TIGA Most Outstanding Graduate of the Year: Programmer, while Lewis Melia, won the TIGA Most Outstanding Graduate of the Year: Audio.
University of Staffordshire is home to the UK’s largest dedicated games education institution, with around 1,800 students across its Stoke-on-Trent and London campuses.
