Best Colleges with Esports in 2025
Imagine getting a scholarship for doing what you love—gaming. Esports isn’t just a hobby anymore; it’s a serious path to college, with universities investing in top-tier programs, scholarships, and professional-level facilities.
In an earlier piece, we took a deep dive into esports in college. We discussed the game, majors, career outlook, and more. Today, with the help of Dr. Joey Gawrysiak, Executive Director of Esports Communications and Management at Syracuse University, we'll talk about some of the top college esports programs in 2025.
But first, here’s a quick recap of collegiate esports in general.
Collegiate esports programs
Collegiate esports isn’t just about gaming—it’s a full-fledged sports experience. Schools with programs invest in coaching, high-performance training facilities, and varsity-level competition, just like any other athletic program.
Many also offer scholarships, rec leagues, and degree pathways that connect gaming with careers in tech, media, and business. Whether you're looking to compete at the highest level or play for fun, collegiate esports allows you to level up your skills while earning your degree.
And as esports continues to grow, more colleges are recognizing its value—not just as a competitive outlet but as a bridge to future careers.
"Collegiate esports is expanding, especially at larger universities, as schools invest in competitive gaming to engage students and prepare them for careers in the growing esports industry," says Joey Gawrysiak. "Esports has become a pathway to college for many students—especially as more high schools introduce programs, creating a clear route from amateur to collegiate-level play."
Esports opens the door to countless career opportunities, but let’s be real— few players will go pro. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a future in gaming, though. The industry is booming and needs broadcasters, analysts, event managers, game developers, social media pros, business strategists, and more. Whether you want to be in front of the screen or behind the scenes, collegiate esports can help you build the skills and connections to turn gaming into a legit career.
"While many players dream of becoming a professional esports athlete, that route is not viable for most students,'" explains Joey Gawrysiak. "The good news is that career options are expanding because more talent is needed in areas such as game design, media, public relations, social media, and management/business operations."
But how do coaches decide which students to recruit? It’s not just about being great at the game. Top-tier skill is essential, but most programs are looking for more than just raw talent. Coaches want players who can work well in a team, take feedback, and handle the pressure of competition. They’re building a program, not just stacking leaderboards—so attitude, communication, and time management matter as much as in-game mechanics.
"Esports programs that focus more on competitive success may be looking at the top players in their respective games. They may also want some virtual "travel team" experience," notes Joey Gawrysiak. "However, student-athletes must be skilled players while also exhibiting the same interpersonal skills anyone looks for in recruits, such as being coachable, good communication, and time management."
Top colleges with esports in 2025
So, which college has the best esports team? It’s a tough call. Like any sport, rankings shift every year. But some schools consistently dominate, whether in championships, facilities, or academic programs. Let's look at them now.
Maryville University
Maryville University continues to dominate the collegiate esports scene. Their League of Legends team has clinched four national championships, and their Overwatch team also holds a national title. Beyond these achievements, Maryville has secured 18 major tournament titles across various games.
The university's esports program is divided into two divisions: the Varsity Program and the Community Club. The Varsity Program recruits top talent globally, while the Community Club offers a competitive yet friendly environment for students interested in games like CS: GO, Hearthstone, Rainbow Six Siege, and Rocket League.
Their Esports Performance Center serves as the dedicated training space for the Varsity program, featuring a lag-free environment, top-of-the-line peripherals, and the best PCs available. The space includes a lounge area and dining space for the players, ensuring they can perform at their best whenever needed.
In recognition of their excellence, Maryville was named Esports Collegiate Program of the Year in 2021.
University of Akron
The University of Akron was among the first universities in the country to compete at a varsity level while offering club and recreational gaming programs. According to the DailyGame, The University of Akron has the number two nationwide program as of November 2022.
On campus, you'll find three state-of-the-art gaming facilities and an esports arena totaling 1222 sq ft of space for the varsity and rec teams and their fans. These gaming facilities provide a hub and place of community for students in the esports program here.
UA offers an Esports Business certificate, which prepares students to work in esports in positions like team or tournament managers, event coordinators, marketing, and sales.
University of California, Irvine
UC Irvine was the first public university to create an official esports program and remains one of the most popular esports programs in the world. According to their website, the school offers scholarship teams for League of Legends, Overwatch, and Valorant.
They also host annual conferences and opportunities to network and learn from the industry's most talented players. UCI is a champion for inclusivity in esports, with an Inclusivity Plan in place and their Girls in Gaming summer camps set up to advance access and interest in the sport.
UC Irvine also has a 3,500 sq ft Esports arena where they host famous tournaments such as the World CyberGames. There you'll find 36 top-of-the-line iBUYPOWER computers, Logitech gaming gear, and super comfortable gaming chairs.
Interested students can major in Game Design and Interactive Media or any of the countless other majors offered at UC Irvine.
Miami University
Miami University has the nation's first D1 varsity esports program and has won several national titles and awards. Miami U's Esport Lounge is state-of-the-art, free for student drop-ins, and big enough to host meetings, tryouts, practices, and tournaments.
Some esports academic programs offered at Miami University include a Bachelor of Science in Games + Simulation, a Combined Bachelor's and Master of Esports Management, and an Esports Management Undergraduate Certificate.
Boise State University
2022 has been a great year for the Boise State Broncos esports program. They were voted best collegiate esports program in November and took home their third Mountain West Rocket League championship title for the 2022-23 academic year.
But this hasn't been the only good year for them. The program has earned many accolades, including a National Esports Coach of the Year Award (NAECAD), a Director of the Year (NACE), Broadcast Team of the Year (NACE), Overwatch Coach of the Year (NACE) 3 All-Star Team invitees, and 10 Academic All-Americans.
The esports teams at Boise State are led by professional coaches and support staff and are made up of grad and undergrad students on teams for League of Legends, Overwatch, and Rocket League.
But Boise State's College of Innovation and Design is as exciting as its varsity esports program. Students can major in Games, Interactive Media & Mobile, and Digital Innovation & Design or get certificates in areas like Drone Technologies and User Experience Design. As an esports student, you can also receive scholarships and financial aid.
University of Utah
The University of Utah is one of the first varsity esports programs launched by a Power Five University. They have abundant resources and the top-level coaching staff to support their Hearthstone, Overwatch, League of Legends, and Rocket League teams.
The school also boasts a nationally ranked Entertainment Arts & Engineering video game development program. Within this program, there are several engaging majors for students to focus on and a robust program for supporting students as they launch a career in the game industry.
Syracuse University
Finally, we'd be remiss in not telling you about our friends at Syracuse University. The esports communications and management program at Syracuse University is a partnership between the Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. The Newhouse School is known for its excellence in media production and sports communications, while Falk is at the forefront of sports management education—it had the first undergraduate degree in sports analytics and one of the earliest programs in sports management.
Syracuse University recently opened its new, state-of-the-art Gaming and Esports Center—an exciting arena for competitors and those new to the action. The 5,800-square-foot center inside the Schine Student Center is the second recreational gaming and esports facility on their campus. It features 24 high-end personal computers and assorted console gaming on systems like Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox, along with virtual and augmented reality offerings, two racing simulators, classic arcade games, and tabletop gaming.
Their new Gaming and Esports Center will also house the University’s competitive esports varsity teams, with an elevated stage showcasing 10 computers where teams compete. Each computer has a camera attached to the top for live streaming, and there are two long, video boards running in front of and behind the stage, perfect for displaying match stats, graphics and video replays to the crowd of spectators seated in front of the stage.
This new facility will allow even more students to try their hand at esports and gaming while strengthening the University’s commitment to leading the way in esports.
Getting an esports scholarship
Esports isn’t just about competition—it can help pay for college. Currently, over $16 million in esports scholarships and financial aid is available for student players across the U.S. If you want a piece of that, the best move is to start building your skills now—whether through high school teams, travel teams, or online competitions.
The best advice for high school student gamers interested in getting a scholarship is to get involved in high school esports programs now to specialize and build your skills. Then, go to tournaments and other events whenever you can.
Positioning yourself to be competitive in esports is the same as doing it for any collegiate sport—it takes time and dedication.
"Prospective esports student-athletes should find opportunities to play on their high school's club/varsity team or consider looking for teams outside of scholastic competition," advises Joey Gawrysiak. "Coaches and directors looking to provide scholarships are often looking for the same qualities as student-athletes in traditional athletics: in-game skill, communication, leadership, and the ability to take feedback.'"
Using Appily to find colleges with esports programs
When evaluating colleges for esports programs, you should consider more than just the opportunity to game. Consider factors like possible majors, student resources, campus culture, graduation rates, and more. Esports should be part of the college experience, not your whole college experience.
Not sure where to start? Appily makes it easy. With a free account, you can search for colleges with esports programs, save your favorites, and even check your admissions chances based on your GPA and test scores. Plus, you can find esports scholarships—all in one place. Just click to get started with Appily. It’s quick and easy.