Animation remains a thriving corner of the industry for aspiring professional artists even if, as a career, breaking in has never been harder. “There are just not as many entry-level positions at this point when you think about all the work that’s been offshored over the years,” says Jinko Gotoh, an Oscar-nominated producer and vp at Women in Animation (WIA). “As the industry shrinks and the demand for content shrinks, those positions shrink.”
Animation is at an inflection point as it continues grappling with the ongoing impacts of such market forces — not to mention the growing presence of AI. Schools and organizations like WIA and ASIFA-Hollywood (which produces the Oscars of animation, the Annie Awards) are already addressing this game-changer with additional courses, industry events and multiyear studies. “It’s my responsibility to say to students, ‘Look, that threat will remain and grow, so how are you going to prepare yourselves for that?’ ” says Aubry Mintz, executive director of ASIFA-Hollywood and a CalState Long Beach professor.
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. To help future creatives navigate the best pathway, THR compiled its inaugural top animation schools list. Schools were selected based on survey responses from ASIFA-Hollywood, the Animation Guild, Black N Animated and LatinX in Animation, and weighted with key data — graduation and retention rates, cost and more — provided by the institutions and the Department of Education.
ArtCenter College of Design
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
ArtCenter’s rep for producing career-ready talent is fueled by a mix of interdisciplinary collaboration and portfolio development with cutting-edge facilities and an environment that mirrors the industry pipeline. Degree programs in entertainment design, illustration and graphic design with a motion design emphasis prime students to work in visual development, directing, art direction, title sequences and more. Coursework covers understanding the business side of the industry, and training comes via state-of-the-art workstations, extensive maker spaces and prototyping shops. The Entertainment Expo, an annual student showcase, attracts more than 2,000 industry pros.
TUITION $55,182
ALUMNI Ryan Meinerding (Marvel Studios vp visual development); Floyd Norman (Sleeping Beauty)
Brigham Young University
PROVO, UTAH
For those willing to navigate BYU’s more conservative culture and religious study requirements, the Center for Animation’s BFA — created with the support of Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull — regularly garners Student Emmys and Student Academy Awards. Even 600 miles from Hollywood, strong relationships with major studios grant mentorship and access to proprietary toolkits and workflows, alongside 2D and 3D courses that prep students for the studio system. Student success is attributed to an approach of teamwork and production over individual expression, and a single-class short offering opportunities to specialize.
TUITION $6,888 (Latter-Day Saints members); $13,776 (non-members)
ALUMNI Masha Ellsworth (Inside Out 2)
California Institute of the Arts
VALENCIA, CALIFORNIA
Founded by Roy and Walt Disney in 1961, the highly selective school boasts a prestigious alumni network including Glen Keane (The Little Mermaid) and Genndy Tartakovsky (Primal), and an annual opportunity to produce a student short. Alongside a summer animation residency, the BFA and MFA in experimental animation focus on developing personal aesthetics, while the BFA in character animation focuses on artistic and technical training in traditional and CGI animation, including sound effects. The annual Producers’ Show garners attendance from major studios.
TUITION $60,650
ALUMNI Jorge Gutiérrez (The Book of Life); Lauren Faust (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic)
Cal State University, Long Beach
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA
Among the Cal State campuses recognized for affordability and diversity, Long Beach offers a choice between animation and preproduction tracks, traditional 2D and 3D, and experimental approaches. Students have chances to produce PSAs with local organizations, take courses in 11 other art studio programs, and use the 360-degree theater, VR room, motion-capture system and 3D printing shop. An ASIFA-Hollywood faculty connection offers proximity to industry events, screenings and networking.
TUITION $18,972 (undergraduate); $17,922 (graduate)
ALUMNI Jennifer Yuh Nelson (Kung Fu Panda 2); Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast)
DePaul University
CHICAGO
Its bachelor’s and master’s programs provide numerous pathways to specialization, with concentrations in traditional animation (hand-drawn and stop-motion), 3D and VFX animation. Alongside courses that expose students to pioneering AI art tools, there’s access to a 60,000-square-foot production facility at Cinespace Chicago and a virtual production stage with an LED wall and networked real-time rendering. A study abroad in Japan and its Frame-by-Frame Animators Conference with guests like Bruce W. Smith (The Proud Family) are highlights.
TUITION $46,605 (undergraduate); $30,560 (graduate)
ALUMNI Jennifer Stachovic (BoJack Horseman); Molly McCandless (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio)
Gnomon
LOS ANGELES
Those wanting to be production-ready 3D artists upon graduation can look to this BFA in digital production, which provides students with a foundational arts experience as well as in-depth knowledge of the 3D production pipeline. Students have access to leading industry software, as well as a certificate program and individual courses that many graduates of top four-year degree programs use to refine and expand their skills and portfolio.
TUITION $24,780
ALUMNI Hannah Kang (The Wild Robot)
New York University
NEW YORK
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. Students of various experience levels develop an artistic voice while becoming grounded in the principles and art of animation, with room for the development of specialized skills in advanced studies. Facilities include a stop-motion animation room and a capture studio with a wraparound greenscreen. NYU guarantees that every first-year undergraduate admitted to the New York campus whose family’s income is less than $100,000 a year can attend for free.
TUITION $68,978
ALUMNI Matiss Kaza (Flow); Tom Fields (The Legend of Vox Machina)
Rhode Island School of Design
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND
The film, animation, video and separate illustration degrees go beyond mastering technical skills and instead take a self-directed approach focused on developing an artist’s aesthetic vision. First-year coursework in liberal arts is expanded upon via access to production studios for film, video, 16mm, 35mm and puppet animation, as well as a dedicated printmaking studio, digital tools and state-of-the-art VR. A newer Movement Lab explores the properties of movement and the tech behind it. Students complete projects in an area of interest (for example, lighting or digital editing), with the opportunity to present their work at the school’s exhibitions and annual film festival.
TUITION $63,966
ALUMNI Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy); Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
Ringling College of Art and Design
SARASOTA, FLORIDA
Each year, the equivalent of multiple feature films are rendered on campus thanks to the school’s rack-mounted render farm similar to those that reside at major studios including Pixar and DreamWorks. The program, which gives students a state-of-the-art laptop preloaded with essential software, keeps enrollment low to ensure more interaction with faculty, and prizes itself on its 15-plus Student Academy Awards. The production of a senior film, which students manage from story development to final render, receives critiques given by renowned visiting artists.
TUITION $54,400
ALUMNI Jeff Fowler (Sonic the Hedgehog); Patrick Osborne (Love, Death & Robots)
San José State University
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
SJSU’s commitment to community is exemplified by student groups like its WIA Collective and The Shrunkenheadman Club, which supports guest presentations, weekly figure-drawing sessions and an alumni convention. Its rep as an affordable, competitive option is thanks to the B.A. in Design Studies’ animation and illustration specialization, which readies students for entry-level jobs, and BFA in animation and illustration, balancing foundational training in color theory and painting, with specialized skills like storyboarding.
TUITION $8,410 (in-state); $21,010 (out-of-state)
ALUMNI Chris Palmer (How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World); Noah Klocek (Brave)
Savannah College of Art and Design
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA
A recent structural streamlining has led to a single School of Animation and Motion dedicated to cultivating powerhouse talent through next-generation technology. Those looking to develop their signature style in 2D, 3D, stop-motion animation, digital modeling, rigging and lighting can do so with a nearly 50-person faculty (led by a deep bench of Disney veterans) and access to an impressive number of licenses and software. The guests — Adult Swim and Cartoon Network president Michael Ouweleen among them — and SCADpro (the in-house innovation design studio) help students on professional projects with clients including Universal, NASA and Google.
TUITION $42,165 (undergraduate); $42,120 (graduate)
ALUMNI Jason Mayer (DreamWorks head of VFX); Nickson Fong (Stuart Little)
School of Visual Arts
NEW YORK
Those familiar with SVA’s collaborative, state-of-the-art production environment would not be surprised by its alumni, from Titmouse founder Chris Prynoski to Enrico Casarosa (Luca). Students at the undergraduate or graduate levels can enjoy such course offerings as 3D for Motion Design and 2D Artists and AI and Filmmaking: A Critical Exploration, which integrate cutting-edge tools like Unreal Engine and motion-capture technologies. In January, the BFA program completed its five-year relocation and expansion, featuring new facilities including a stop-motion workshop and sound and editing studio.
TUITION $53,400 (undergraduate), $59,600 (graduate)
ALUMNI Rebecca Sugar (Steven Universe); Ian Jones-Quartey (OK K.O. Let’s Be Heroes!)
University of Southern California
LOS ANGELES
Inspired by Walt Disney artist and Imagineer John C. Hench, USC’s intensive BFA and MFA programs teach animation from a maker’s point of view. The university’s software and tool-agnostic curriculum allows students to be responsive to industry trends, while high-level internships and upskilling events including LightBox Expo and AfroAnimation Summit promote career placement.
TUITION $73,260 (undergraduate); $60,478 (graduate)
ALUMNI Brad Ableson (Shrek 5); Valerie LaPointe (Soul)
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Certifiably Animated!
Pros agree getting a degree in the U.S. provides a clear, structured path for aspiring creatives looking to enter Hollywood’s animation industry. But there are other pathways to train for an industry where “at the end of the day, it’s everyone that you meet along the way who will help you get to where you want to be,” says Hsiang Chin Moe, chair of education at WIA. International schools like Gobelins (France), Sheridan College (Canada) and the Animation Workshop/VIA University College (Denmark) also produce some of Hollywood’s leading animators, while certificate and training programs — such as Animation Mentor, AnimSchool and Exceptional Minds — provide less time- and financially intensive programs. Both can lead to careers like those of Pierre Coffin (director of Despicable Me), Steve Williams (revolutionized CGI with Jurassic Park) and Kolby Krooke (lead animator on Transformers One).
This story appeared in the June 4 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.