Animation Degree Colleges: A Comprehensive Guide

Animation is a thriving field where art and technology converge to bring characters and stories to life. Aspiring animators have more options than ever before, from traditional art schools to universities with cutting-edge technology programs. This article explores some of the leading animation degree colleges, highlighting their unique strengths and offerings.

California Institute of the Arts (CalArts)

Established in 1961 through the consolidation of the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and the Chouinard Art Institute, with the financial backing of Walt Disney, CalArts incorporates all areas of the visual and performing arts. The institute also houses the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT) in the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex and the Community Arts Partnership (CAP). CalArts is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

CalArts provides programs that combine a liberal arts curriculum with immersive coursework in film and video. Housed in CalArts’ largest department-the School of Film/Video (F/V), all programs allow students to explore multiple modes of moving image. The Experimental Animation BFA and MFA programs at CalArts focus on diverse animation approaches, techniques, and processes. These include 2D animation, motion capture, performance animation, programming, digital production, stop motion, and installation. To enhance the curriculum, Experimental Animation BFA students may add a minor, pursue one of several interdisciplinary programs, or both. A popular option is the Digital Arts minor.

The Experimental Animation BFA program takes four years to complete. The Experimental Animation MFA is a three-year, residency track program that begins with a first-year project. MFA students must complete at least six graduate-level history/theory credits in residence, including Seminar in Animation History and History of Experimental Animation. The MFA culminates with a thesis, completed across 12 credit hours of seminar courses. The Character Animation BFA is a four-year program that prepares students to work in traditional, computer graphic (CG), and independent animation. Graduates have found success in animation, film and video, advertising, music, acting, graphic design, theater, and more. Many CalArts alumni have also launched their own studios and entertainment businesses.

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is home to the School of Animation and Motion, serving approximately 1,985 students. The school operates the world’s largest university-run film festival. With attendance exceeding 63,000 annually, the eight-day Savannah Film Festival has welcomed Academy Award-winning guest speakers such as Mahershala Ali, Holly Hunter, and Jeremy Irons, along with directors such as Oliver Stone and Christopher Miller.

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The Animation program offers BFA, MA, and MFA pathways, allowing students to earn a BFA/MA or BFA/MFA at an accelerated pace. Students in the BFA/MA program may complete this combined degree in less than four years. The 180 credit-hour Animation BFA is available at SCAD’s Atlanta and Savannah campuses. The major curriculum for the program consists of 80 credit hours, including concentrations in 2D Animation; 3D Character Animation; Technical Animation; and Storytelling and Concept Development. Students will take 15 credit hours of free electives. Each student will complete three capstone courses including Animated Capstone Film Preproduction, Production, and Postproduction.

The Animation MA and MFA programs require the successful completion of 45 and 90 credit hours, respectively. The MA is available at the Savannah campus and online through SCADnow. MA students have access to courses such as 3D Naturalistic Character Animation; Computer-Generated Modeling and Design; Drawing in Motion; Animation Aesthetics and Practice; 3D Cartoon Character Animation; and Environment Look Development. The culminating experience for the SCAD MA program is the School of Animation and Motion MA Final Project. The Animation MFA consists of a mandatory teaching or field assignment, a supervised graduate internship consisting of 15 credit hours. Major studios and networks routinely hire SCAD Animation alumni.

Savannah College of Art and Design opened its doors in the renovated Savannah Volunteer Guards Armory in September 1979 with one classroom and an administration building (Poetter Hall), 11 faculty, and just 71 students.

Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD)

Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD) is Florida’s only post-secondary institution dedicated exclusively to teaching art and design. Founded in 1931, Ringling College of Art and Design is a private, not-for-profit college that began as a collaboration between circus baron John Ringling and Dr. Ludd M. Spivey. Today, Ringling College of Art and Design sits on a 48-acre campus that serves 1,666 students enrolled in 11 different majors leading to a BFA degree, two majors leading to a BA, and 10 minors. In addition, RCAD recently launched an undergraduate Artificial Intelligence (AI) certificate.

One of the school’s most popular programs is the Computer Animation BFA. Established in 1990, this 120 credit-hour program opens the door to coveted internships with places such as Pixar, DreamWorks, Sony Pictures, Nickelodeon, and Walt Disney Animation Studios. Other program features include courses taught by animation industry veterans; guest speakers from major studios; real-world projects with area businesses; and participation in the RCAD initiative INDEX (Industry Experience). Developed in partnership with The Patterson Family Foundation, INDEX provides experiential learning opportunities from additional internships to competitions sponsored by major clients and brands. INDEX also helps students with resume and portfolio-building.

The Computer Animation BFA program highlights 48 credit hours in the major and the Media Arts First Year Community (MA-FYC) consisting of 18 credit hours. With 12 credit hours of open electives, BFA students can enhance the curriculum by developing skills in additional areas of art and design. The culminating experience for the RCAD BFA program is the Thesis Project in Computer Animation, which incorporates animation methods, technologies, and sound to demonstrate proficiency in all areas of computer animation.

For students seeking a program that explores animation and other areas of art and design, Ringling College of Art and Design has a Motion Design BFA that explores 2D and 3D animation, storytelling, visual effects (VFX), sound design, stop motion animation, and graphic design. The RCAD Motion Design BFA requires 120 credit hours, including 39 in the major, 12 regular electives, and 12 open electives. Other credits come from liberal arts, general education, art and design history, and First Year Community (FYC). Graduates of the Computer Animation and Motion Design BFA programs are prepared to pursue careers across all areas of animation, film, television, and other related fields.

University of Southern California (USC)

Founded in 1880, University of Southern California is the oldest private research university in the state. When it opened, the school had just 53 students and 10 faculty. Today, USC enrolls approximately 47,000 students served by a faculty of more than 4,400. Students at USC have access to more than 600 graduate and professional programs across 23 schools and divisions.

The University of Southern California (USC) is home to the School of Cinematic Arts (SCA), founded in 1929. The school houses state-of-the-art facilities and equipment accessible to all animation students. One of the many standouts among SCA’s facilities is the brand new main complex. The Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts provides additional production spaces, motion capture suites, and Trojan Vision-the University's full-service television station. Across SCA programs, students can collaborate with peers in other USC schools such as Roski School of Art and Design, Viterbi School of Engineering, the School of Architecture, and Thornton School of Music.

Within USC’s School Cinematic Arts is The John C. Hench Division of Animation + Digital Arts (Hench DADA) and the Expanded Animation Division (EAD). Both divisions provide animation programs leading to a BFA or MFA. Hench DADA also houses a 3D Animation and Cinematic Arts minor. The Interactive Media Division houses a Game Animation minor. The 3D Animation and Cinematic Arts minor allows students to focus in a specific area through electives, including character animation, visual effects (VFX), motion capture, virtual reality (VR), and modeling. Through electives, Game Animation students may explore areas such as VFX, game development, or digital effects.

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The Animation + Digital Arts BFA program at University of Southern California is a four-year STEM-coded program that provides formal concentration options. In addition to a concentration, BFA students will complete courses such as Story Structure for Animation; Reality Starts Here; 3D Character Performance Animation; Two-Dimensional Art Workshop; Cinematography for Animators; History of Animation; and Professionalism of Animation. During the second semester of year three, and in year four of the program, students will complete Ideation + Pre-Production, along with two Senior Project courses resulting in a fully rendered, animated piece, with soundtrack. The Animation + Digital Arts MFA is a STEM-coded, three-year terminal degree program that provides mini studios for all students, ongoing workshops, and internship opportunities. Techniques and approaches explored range from hand-drawn character animation to interactive digital animation. Elective units are an important component of the MFA program. Students must complete 15 units to graduate. The XA MFA focuses on experimentation, animation research, and innovation. Designed for advanced artists, this terminal degree program consists of 50 units (minimum) completed across six semesters. Students in this unique program can select from an extensive list of research concentrations. Courses for the USC XA MFA program are supported by exhibitions, research collaborations, and overnight field trips. The XA MFA program culminates with the Master’s Thesis, completed over three courses: Animation Pre-Thesis Seminar, Master’s Thesis (594a), and Master’s Thesis (594b). Graduates of the Animation programs at the University of Southern California are prepared to pursue leadership roles in the entertainment industry. Program alumni have been hired at major studios such as Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), DreamWorks Animation, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Digital Domain, Pixar, Illumination, and Sony Pictures.

School of Visual Arts (SVA)

School of Visual Arts (SVA) opened in 1947 with three teachers and 35 students. Today, the school serves approximately 3,815 students enrolled in dozens of BFA, MA, MFA, and MPS programs.

Serving approximately 760 animation students, the Animation Department at SVA provides two undergraduate programs for animators including BFAs in Animation, and 3D Animation and Visual Effects. The culminating experience for the Animation BFA is the thesis and presentation. Graduates of the Animation Department at SVA are prepared to pursue careers in all areas of animation, film, VFX, and more. They can be found at DreamWorks, Lucasfilm Animation, Cartoon Network, Warner Bros. Animation, Nickelodeon, Sony Pictures Animation, and Disney Animation Studios.

For animation students seeking an advanced degree, School of Visual Arts has a Computer Arts MFA program. Established in 1986, this terminal degree program was the first in the nation to focus solely on computer arts. SVA Computer Arts MFA students may focus their studies in animation, experimental art, or motion design. The curriculum also allows students to pursue a multidisciplinary course of study. Computer Art MFA students have been nominated for 13 Student Academy Awards and won nine. Students have also won awards at SIGGRAPH; Prix Ars Electronica; ISEA; the YouTube Awards; the Leonardo Awards for Excellence; and the Adobe Design Achievement Awards. Graduates of the Computer Arts MFA program are routinely hired at major companies and studios such as Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), MTV, Pixar, Google, Adobe, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Electronic Arts (EA), Disney, and DreamWorks. SVA also hosts an annual festival known as the After School Special. This decade old event highlights the work of some of SVA’s most accomplished alumni in animation, film, television, and visual effects (VFX).

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Founded on May 23, 1919 as the Southern Branch of the University of California, UCLA serves approximately 46,675 students from nearly 110 countries. The school provides more than 250 programs across 12 professional schools and UCLA College.

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is home to the School of Theater, Film and Television (TFT), which serves approximately 680 students enrolled in 15 programs leading to an undergraduate or graduate degree. During the first and second years of the program, students focus on foundational courses. In the third year, students will hone their skills in television, film, and digital media production. The UCLA Film, Television and Digital Media BA culminates with a professional internship and final project. Established in 1948 by Disney Animator William Shull, the workshop launched an Animation MFA program when UCLA TFT graduate Dan McLaughlin took over Shull’s post in 1971. All BA students will also have the opportunity to develop individual projects across various animation styles and techniques. and abroad.

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) opened its doors in the late 1800s with a mission to support Rhode Island’s growing jewelry and textile industries. The first courses of study at RISD focused in two areas: Freehand Drawing and Painting, and Mechanical Drawing and Design. All programs provid… Recognized as one of the top 25 Game Design BFA programs in the country, and the #1 school in Maine, our program will help you develop a robust studio practice through the production of works across a range of traditional and emerging media.

Students may create content for animation, games, or both while studying in our Animation & Game Art BFA program. Lower-level classes cover the breadth of the respective production pipelines, which allow our juniors and seniors to focus deeply on their area of interest, or to create their own collaborative or individually produced animated films or games. Our program is designed to teach animation and game artists to communicate effectively with their audience through all facets of production. This means that from development and pre-production through design, asset creation, animation, and post-production, choices are made that affect how viewers/gamers connect with and understand both characters and narrative. Our award-winning faculty, including Program Chair Adam Fisher and Assistant Professor Adam deGrandis ’05, bring deep experience in the industry to help you do just that. Majors in Animation & Game Art have 24/7 access to industry-standard hardware and software to create 2D digital, 3D, and stop-motion animation and games. Classes cover full pipelines for both games and animation, as well as specific areas of focus such as character and background design, storyboarding, 3D modeling, character animation, stop-motion, game development, game art production, and much more. The program’s dual emphasis on developing individual exploration and collaborative practices prepares graduates for lifelong personal and professional creative practice. Gain the skills you need to prepare a professional portfolio for work in Animation and Visual Effects studios.

Additional Animation Programs and Resources

Beyond the colleges listed above, numerous other institutions offer excellent animation programs. These include:

ArtCenter College of Design: Known for producing career-ready talent through interdisciplinary collaboration and portfolio development with cutting-edge facilities.
Brigham Young University (BYU): Despite a more conservative culture, BYU's Center for Animation regularly garners Student Emmys and Student Academy Awards, with strong relationships with major studios.
California State University, Long Beach: Offers a choice between animation and preproduction tracks, traditional 2D and 3D, and experimental approaches, with access to a 360-degree theater, VR room, and motion-capture system.
DePaul University: Provides numerous pathways to specialization, with concentrations in traditional animation, 3D, and VFX animation, along with access to a 60,000-square-foot production facility and a virtual production stage.
New York University (NYU): Housed within the undergrad film and TV major, NYU’s Kanbar Animation Area provides an atelier experience focused on training students to become storytellers and filmmakers.
Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD): Takes a self-directed approach focused on developing an artist’s aesthetic vision, with access to production studios for film, video, 16mm, 35mm and puppet animation.
San Jose State University (SJSU): An affordable, competitive option with a strong commitment to community, exemplified by student groups like its WIA Collective and The Shrunkenheadman Club.

In addition to degree programs, certificate and training programs like Animation Mentor, AnimSchool, and Exceptional Minds provide less time- and financially intensive training.

Key Skills and Technologies

Animation combines artistic talent with technical expertise. Aspiring animators should develop skills in:

2D Animation: Creating images by hand-drawing each frame or digitally manipulating flat media.
3D Animation: Creating 3D characters and environments using computer software.
Stop Motion Animation: Manipulating posable puppets, props, and sets frame-by-frame.
Character Design: Creating visually appealing and expressive characters.
Storyboarding: Visualizing a story scene by scene.
3D Modeling: Creating 3D characters and environments.
Visual Effects (VFX): Creating visual effects for film, television, and games.
Game Engines: Using software to create interactive experiences.
Motion Capture: Capturing the movements of actors to create realistic animation.
Digital Painting: Adding depth and texture to creations.

The Role of AI in Animation

Animation is at an inflection point as it continues grappling with the ongoing impacts of market forces - not to mention the growing presence of AI. Schools and organizations like WIA and ASIFA-Hollywood are already addressing this game-changer with additional courses, industry events and multiyear studies. As the industry navigates its next act, pros say it’s important that aspiring animators think carefully about where and how they want to pursue their dream careers.

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