More than 100 universities in the US and abroad have established esports programmes , with some even offering scholarships for talented gamers . The National Association of es Esports , which promotes inter - collegiate competition in gaming , says colleges have thus far issued almost $ 9 m in scholarships and financial aid related to esports . The introduction of programmes , however , has been met with criticism from some educational figures , accusing colleges of promoting competitive games over academics .
More than 80 universities in the US and Canada have established esports programmes, with some even offering scholarships for talented gamers. The National Association of Collegiate Esports, which oversees inter-collegiate competition in gaming, says universities have thus far issued almost $9m in scholarships and financial aid related to esports. The introduction of programmes, however, has been met with criticism from some educational figures, accusing colleges of promoting video games over academics.