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Esports has skyrocketed to a popular, lucrative sport, drawing thousands of players and viewers from around the world along with millions in profit. The sport with the first esports tournament at Stanford University, sponsored by Rolling Stone magazine. The spectator nature of the sport grew, especially in the 2010s as more online platforms like Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube appeared. By 2019, the sport reached $1 billion in revenue. Because of its enormous growth, esports has even shaped the college athletic industry. Esports colleges now offer players dedicated coaching, prize winnings, scholarships, relevant academic degrees, and professional networking opportunities among other resources, to meet the rising demand. The following best esports colleges have an array of opportunities for those in pursuit of joining this ever-growing industry.

25 Best College Esports Teams – 2025

1) Ashland University

Opening in 2018, this university’s highlights its arena specifics and Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Open levels of teams. Gamers receive coaching on balancing gaming and academics, with gaming practice 2-3 hours at least twice a week. The varsity players keep all of their earnings.

2) Boise State University

The Boise Broncos Esports team just earned a championship title in the . They’ve won over 1,400 games, offer live broadcasts across all their social media channels, and use their sleek, comprehensive for practice. Multiple players were recently named Player of the Year at the Mountain West Conference.

3) Caldwell University

In addition to teams, this esports college offers a . Coursework includes “digital marketing, Esports management, entrepreneurial studies, event planning, operations, ethics, and the sociological impact of Esports” and the capstone class “Esports Event Planning and Management.” They recommend this major for students interested in gaming production, finance, marketing, and event coordination jobs.

4) Emporia State University

Esports is the largest recognized student organization at . The esports college has varsity teams for Overwatch, Valorant, and R6 Siege, among other games, and competes in national tournaments. Their arena opened in 2023 and is also the site for their esports summer camp.

5) Fisher College

is the first Boston-area college with an esports program at the collegiate level. This esports college also features “monthly industry TED Talks by esports leaders from around the globe.” The program aims to help students with developing team management skills, securing partnerships and sponsorships, and navigating job opportunities. Three nationally ranked coaches lead over players.

6) Harrisburg University

This esports college awards at least fifteen players full-tuition scholarships with additional aid for housing. They are also one of the few esports colleges to offer a . The Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts is the official home stadium for the team’s facilities.

7) Illinois Wesleyan University

Among colleges with esports, offers students the opportunity to learn the behind-the-scenes production of esports, including casting and graphic design. Players practice 10 to 15 hours per week and work with coaches who help students develop both “an individual and team-oriented mindset.” The arena contains sections for all students, both team members and non-team members, to use.

8) James Madison University

culture emphasizes building community by connecting students to alumni and industry professionals. They promote “an inviting, inclusive space” that nurtures students’ skills along with their networking. The school has 9 teams, including one dedicated to broadcasting and marketing and for middle and high school students.

9) Miami University – Ohio

Launched in 2016, Miami University – Ohio was to open a varsity esports program. The school’s team won first place in the National Association of Collegiate Esports Overwatch season the following year and continued to earn victories in Overwatch and League of Legends competitions. The school also offers a gaming minor and a Master’s Degree in Esports Management.

10) Northwood University

have earned multiple national titles since the program began in 2019. Players have landed sponsorships and brand ambassadorships. Students can also pursue degrees in Esports Management and Marketing. Among colleges with esports, Northwood’s includes several national champions.

11) Drexel University

In addition to varsity teams, Drexel’s business school has both a major and minor in with courses in business administration, game design, and game management.

12) Maryville University

This esports college’s League of Legends team has won the National Championship four times and holds the reigning national champion Overwatch team. They have a with varsity tryouts in the summer.

13) Midland University

Midland is one of the few esports colleges with a female head coach, , who previously coached at UMass and Kent State. The school’s upcoming shows League of Legends, Rocket League, and Overwatch tournaments. They also received from the computer hardware company HyperX.

14) Ohio State University

While scholarships aren’t available at , the school employs students in the arena and in management, livestream coordination, and shout-casting positions. They also have internships that directly support the team manager. The school hosts premier, but not varsity, teams. Their applications and try-out processes are open to all enrolled students, and so is the usage of their arena.

15) Oklahoma City University

Differing from other esports colleges, emphasizes a holistic approach in their coaching, supporting the players’ physical wellness (wrist strength, eye strain awareness, basic cardio) and mental health along with their gaming skills. The team partners with the school’s esports management degree program to give students business acumen that will complement their hands-on experience. The school has scholarships for some varsity players. The scholarships are renewed based on “student performance and team participation, as well as good academic standing with a minimum 3.0 GPA.”

16) Pace University

This college with esports has 142 competitive players between its varsity, academy, and club levels of competition. The school has won 6 national championships since it . The program is currently advocating for the school to develop an academic esports program.

17) Rochester Institute of Technology

As far as esports colleges, RIT is often near the top of the list. The school has one of the country’s – its team has won 16 national championships. Supported by 7 operations teams, the program is on par with professional esports teams in terms of caliber and resources. The program offered scholarships for the 2024-25 academic year and has 4 available facility spaces for members. The team’s tryouts are open to all undergraduate and graduate students in any major.

18) Shenandoah University

opened one of the first esports arenas on the East Coast. Their plethora of esports-related academic programs distinguishes the program from other colleges with esports. The school has: an MBA, BBA, and BS in esports management, a BS in esports media and communication, esports coaching and management certificates, an esports management minor, an esports health and fitness certificate, and an esports medicine graduate certificate. Their 40 varsity team members play against schools across the U.S. and Canada. The program recently won Program of the Year and Educator of the Year at the Scholastic Esports Awards ceremony and was praised for its “holistic approach to esports education and program development.”

19) St. Clair College

Based in Canada, the esports college team recently at the Scholastic Esports Awards ceremony, including Collegiate Director of the Year for Director Shaun Byrne. The college was also named “the top two-year Esports Collegiate program against a field of hundreds of programs, including juggernauts like the University of Michigan, Michigan State, Boise State and Syracuse.” In 2019, they introduced the Esports Administration and Entrepreneurship program at the school.

20) Texas Wesleyan University

This esports college notes : competition, creation, community, and career. The program has scholarships for players and paid student positions. They do not have an esports major but recommend students with a focus on the gaming industry if they are interested in entering esports as a career beyond graduation.

21) University of Akron- Best College Esports Teams

This esports college, , has varsity teams in League of Legends, Overwatch, Valorant, Call of Duty, Rocket League, Rainbow 6 Siege, Fortnite, and Super Smash Bros Ultimate. The school provides scholarships of $1,000 to $2,500 to varsity players, which can be maintained as long as a player holds a GPA of at least 2.5.

22) University of California-Irvine

UCI’s program began in 2016 with at least 90% of players graduating. They emphasize their students’ career paths and feature of alumni who landed positions at Red Bull’s gaming team and FlyQuest. The program supports players in exploring other related fields, such as computer science, engineering, product management, marketing, and content creation, among others.

23) University of Washington

is a member of the Big Esports Conference, “a coalition of Big 10 schools bringing competitive esport experiences to students and fans around the country.” Fans can watch games on one of their many channels. The school is also opening an esports summer youth program for high school students.

24) Western Kentucky University

issues scholarships of $1,500 to $4,000 per year for each esports player. The school competes in League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League, and Valorant. They also have two related academic programs: an undergraduate certificate in esports management and a certificate in game design.

25) Winthrop University

This esports program was “ in Division I athletics,” opening in 2019. The program’s facilities received a major upgrade in 2023 and are continuing to grow. They will soon include JV and club divisions. Winthrop’s esports leadership recently won titles at the Scholastic Esports Awards ceremony—Director Josh Sides won Director of the Year and Connor Doyle won Coach of the Year. The school has won multiple national championships.

Best Colleges for Esports – Final Thoughts

There is no dearth of options if you want to pursue college-level esports, earning money and skills or simply building a professional network that will enable you to enter the field post-graduation. As colleges with esports expand, consider each program’s specific resources, statistics, and networking opportunities to help you decide. Finally, consider which majors will enable you to cultivate a foundational set of skills that you can apply to multiple contexts, whether inside the arena, in a studio, with fans, or in another space that excites your passion.

Best Colleges for Esports – Additional Resources

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