The 25 highest-scoring animation programs, with the figures behind each score. Completion and net price are school-wide figures; grads a year is the program's own three-year average. The score is out of 100.
The rest of the 2027 ranking, from #26 down, with what each program offers.
26 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation Arts
Milwaukee, WI · Public · Animation program
69.8 UW-Milwaukee's Animation Arts B.F.A. is more production-heavy than its B.A., with a 3D Animation Lab and a yearlong senior film. Students begin animating in the first year, build shorts and a reel, and show their work at the annual Animation Showcase. The program is STEM-designated, and Wisconsin residents pay $8,772 in published tuition. A strong fit for in-state students who want a production-focused degree at a public price, though only 53% of students finish school-wide, so ask the department about advising and retention.
- Completion
- 53%
- Net price
- $16,499
- Grads a year
- 9
View University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation Arts
27 Digital Animation (Bachelor of Fine Arts, B.F.A.)
Saint Joseph, MO · Public · Animation program
69.0 Missouri Western's Digital Animation B.F.A. runs from traditional hand-drawn work through 3D animation, with a flexible curriculum that lets students specialize. Seniors complete a two-course animation capstone, from preproduction to production. Missouri residents pay $8,310 in published tuition at this public university in Saint Joseph, and out-of-state students pay $17,220. Suits budget-minded Missouri students who want to try several animation styles before specializing, but a school-wide completion rate of 40% means it is worth asking how the department keeps students on track.
- Completion
- 40%
- Net price
- $12,764
- Grads a year
- 12
View Missouri Western State University's Digital Animation (Bachelor of Fine Arts, B.F.A.)
28 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation and Game Design
San Antonio, TX · Private nonprofit · Animation program
68.3 Incarnate Word's 3D Animation and Game Design B.F.A. offers four tracks: 3D animation, modeling, game programming and production management. Courses include Anatomy for Animators, Motion Capture and an Animation I-IV series, and classes usually hold 14 students or fewer. The degree takes 120 semester hours and ends in a portfolio. A good fit if you like small classes and a choice of specialty tracks, but the $35,050 published tuition is high, so lean on the $21,246 school-wide net price when you compare offers.
- Completion
- 55%
- Net price
- $21,246
- Grads a year
- 21
View University of the Incarnate Word's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation and Game Design
29 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game & Simulation Arts
Portsmouth, OH · Public · Animation program
68.0 Shawnee State's Game and Simulation Arts B.F.A. puts animation, art asset development and motion capture in the curriculum, with a working motion capture studio used in class. In senior studio, art students collaborate with student programmers. Ohio residents pay $9,448 in published tuition at this public university in the town of Portsmouth, while out-of-state students pay $16,032. Suits students in southern Ohio who want hands-on motion capture work at a public price, though a school-wide completion rate of 39% means advising and retention deserve questions.
- Completion
- 39%
- Net price
- $14,815
- Grads a year
- 12
View Shawnee State University's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game & Simulation Arts
30 Bachelor of Science in Animation and 3D
New Castle, DE · Private nonprofit · Animation program
67.9 Wilmington's B.S. in Animation and 3D covers hand-drawn animation, digital 2D, 3D sculpting and 3D animation, using Toon Boom Harmony and SideFX Houdini. Students graduate with a portfolio, and an accelerated option lets them fold graduate courses into an M.S. in Digital Communication. Tuition is billed per credit, so students pay only for the courses they need. Best for students who want a low-cost, flexible path with the option to continue into a master's, but only 48% finish school-wide, so ask how advising supports part-time or commuting students.
- Completion
- 48%
- Net price
- $14,267
- Grads a year
- 5
View Wilmington University's Bachelor of Science in Animation and 3D
31 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
Buffalo, NY · Private nonprofit · Animation program
67.4 Villa Maria's B.F.A. in Animation is built around small studios, with more than 90 creative workstations running the software used by major animation studios. A school of only 611 students means direct access to that equipment and to faculty who help shape each portfolio. Published tuition is $27,530, and aided first-years pay $15,687 school-wide. Worth a look if you want a small studio setting with a modest net price, though the $27,530 published tuition and a school-wide 43% completion rate mean you should compare aid offers closely.
- Completion
- 43%
- Net price
- $15,687
- Grads a year
- 10
View Villa Maria College's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
32 Bachelor of Arts in Animation
Virginia Beach, VA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
66.2 Regent's B.A. in Animation teaches conceptualization, modeling, texturing, digital cinematography and postproduction, plus writing for animation and storyboarding. Students also study budgeting and pitching, and graduate with a reel. It is taught from a Christian worldview in Virginia Beach, where published tuition is $19,950, and aided first-years pay a net price of $18,314 school-wide. Suits students who want a faith-based animation program and a modest net price, but the school-wide 40% completion rate is a good reason to ask about advising and student support.
- Completion
- 40%
- Net price
- $18,314
- Grads a year
- 21
View Regent University's Bachelor of Arts in Animation
33 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
Minneapolis, MN · Private nonprofit · Animation program
65.8 MCAD's Animation B.F.A. moves from classical pre-production design to hands-on work that mimics a commercial studio, covering illustrated, stop-motion and computer-generated approaches. Animation majors work on teams with students from every other major at the college. Published tuition is $44,784, and aided first-years pay a net price of $27,031 school-wide. Best for students who want to work alongside every other art major, and a school-wide 67% completion rate is encouraging, though the $44,784 sticker price depends on aid to be affordable.
- Completion
- 67%
- Net price
- $27,031
- Grads a year
- 24
View Minneapolis College of Art and Design's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
T-34 Bachelor of Arts in Interactive Media
Worcester, MA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
65.1 Clark's Interactive Media B.A. in Game Design and Development lets students choose a major track that matches their strength, whether visual art, programming, writing or user experience. Artists, coders and storytellers collaborate across disciplines in a small research university with a liberal arts core. Published tuition is $57,440 and about 42 students graduate each year. A good fit if you are undecided between art, code and writing, and a school-wide 78% completion rate is strong, but the $57,440 sticker price makes the aid offer decisive.
- Completion
- 78%
- Net price
- $32,767
- Grads a year
- 42
View Clark University's Bachelor of Arts in Interactive Media
T-34 Bachelor of Arts in Animation and Visual Effects
Azusa, CA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
65.1 Azusa Pacific's Animation and Visual Effects B.A. is taught by working animation professionals with credits at Disney TV, Nickelodeon and Netflix. Students build a capstone 2D or 3D film that is shown at a showcase attended by industry executives, using the animation and gaming lab, green screen and soundstage. Published tuition is $43,758. Choose it if you want a working-professional faculty and a showcase for your capstone, with a school-wide 72% completion rate, though the $26,117 net price still needs checking against your aid.
- Completion
- 72%
- Net price
- $26,117
- Grads a year
- 11
View Azusa Pacific University's Bachelor of Arts in Animation and Visual Effects
36 Bachelor's in Games and Animation
Elmhurst, IL · Private nonprofit · Animation program
64.2 Elmhurst's Games and Animation major sits inside the Digital Media program and concentrates on game design and animation coursework with chances to collaborate with the art and computer science departments. Students choose at least three focus courses in games or animation, two electives and finish with a Digital Media capstone and portfolio course. Suits students who want to blend animation and games inside one flexible major, with a school-wide 70% completion rate, though the $22,760 net price is more reasonable than the $42,495 sticker price suggests.
- Completion
- 70%
- Net price
- $22,760
- Grads a year
- 4
View Elmhurst University's Bachelor's in Games and Animation
T-37 Bachelor of Arts in Animation
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · Animation program
62.5 DePaul's Animation B.A. puts animation principles and production in a liberal arts setting, with Cintiq labs, stop motion stages, motion capture, motion control and sound studios. The flexible degree suits transfer students and double majors, and a portfolio is part of the application. It is STEM-designated, a plus for international students. Worth a look if you are a transfer student or want to pair animation with a second major, and a school-wide 67% completion rate is reasonable, though the $32,129 net price is not low.
- Completion
- 67%
- Net price
- $32,129
- Grads a year
- 65
View DePaul University's Bachelor of Arts in Animation
T-37 Bachelor of Arts in Film and Animation
Madison, NJ · Private nonprofit · Animation program
62.5 Fairleigh Dickinson's Film and Animation B.A. has students shooting in the first year, and the film side of the major moves as a cohort through production, screenwriting and post-production courses. It ends with a produced thesis film, and internships are available. The Florham campus is in suburban Madison, with a published tuition of $36,288. A good fit if you want film and animation skills together on a suburban campus, but the program leans toward the film side, so check how much of the major is animation if that is your goal.
- Completion
- 64%
- Net price
- $26,472
- Grads a year
- 13
View Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus' Bachelor of Arts in Film and Animation
39 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation Degree
Columbus, OH · Private nonprofit · Animation program
62.2 CCAD's Animation B.F.A. spans 2D, 3D and experimental forms such as claymation and stop-motion, plus motion graphics, digital modeling and virtual reality. Students can join the Animation Student Collective and the CCAD Sketch live-animal drawing sessions. About 46 students graduate from the program each year at this college of 916 students. Best for students who want an art-college culture and a large cohort of peers, but a school-wide 63% completion rate and a $30,900 net price make it worth comparing aid offers.
- Completion
- 63%
- Net price
- $30,900
- Grads a year
- 46
View Columbus College of Art & Design's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation Degree
40 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
61.4 Students in Point Park's Animation B.F.A. start animating in the first semester instead of waiting until sophomore year. Courses cover 2D, 3D, motion graphics and visual effects, and students present and screen their work publicly in critiques and screenings. Published tuition is $37,650, and aided first-years pay a net price of $25,477 school-wide. Suits students who want to animate from day one and show work publicly, though a school-wide completion rate of 60% suggests asking how the department supports students through critiques and graduation.
- Completion
- 60%
- Net price
- $25,477
- Grads a year
- 11
View Point Park University's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
41 Bachelor of Arts in Animation
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · Animation program
61.3 Columbia College Chicago's Bachelor of Arts in Animation lets students concentrate in computer animation or traditional animation, hand-drawn or stop motion, and also offers visual effects. The college is an Unreal Academic Partner, so students get Unreal Engine training. About 161 students graduate each year, which makes this a large program for the field. Worth a look if you want a large peer group and a choice between traditional and computer animation, but the school-wide 56% completion rate and $29,790 net price call for comparing aid offers.
- Completion
- 56%
- Net price
- $29,790
- Grads a year
- 161
View Columbia College Chicago's Bachelor of Arts in Animation
42 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
Kansas City, MO · Private nonprofit · Animation program
60.9 Kansas City Art Institute teaches animation through a mentor-based studio model, starting with classical, experimental and analog techniques before moving to contemporary 2D and 3D digital work. Students can double major in animation and art history or in creative writing. Published tuition is $43,000 at this college of 813 students. Best for students who want a small, mentor-driven studio and the chance to pair animation with art history or writing, though the $43,000 sticker price depends heavily on aid.
- Completion
- 64%
- Net price
- $30,142
- Grads a year
- 27
View Kansas City Art Institute's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
43 Bachelor of Arts in Animation
Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit · Animation program
60.4 Webster's four-year, in-person Animation B.A. pairs hand-drawn and computer animation with theory, taught by practitioner faculty. Students work across 2D and 3D character animation, game art, comics, concept art and character design. Published tuition is $31,450, and about 20 students graduate from the program each year at the Saint Louis campus. A good fit if you want hand-drawn and computer animation taught side by side by practitioners, though the school-wide 58% completion rate suggests asking the department about advising.
- Completion
- 58%
- Net price
- $27,695
- Grads a year
- 20
View Webster University's Bachelor of Arts in Animation
44 Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Animation and Illustration
Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit · Animation program
60.2 Northwestern-St. Paul combines animation with illustration in one degree, offered as a B.A. or a B.S., with professional-grade tools in its design lab and instructors who have worked at Pixar and other film studios. Aided first-years pay a net price of $26,779 school-wide, and published tuition is $36,980, at this suburban campus. Suits students who want to pair animation with illustration in a faith-based setting, and a school-wide 65% completion rate is respectable, though the $36,980 sticker price depends on aid.
- Completion
- 65%
- Net price
- $26,779
- Grads a year
- 8
View University of Northwestern-St Paul's Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Animation and Illustration
45 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
57.6 Northeastern's Animation B.F.A. is a studio program covering the whole production pipeline, from films and visual effects to games and spatial media. It centers on a one-year capstone that anchors the portfolio, and students can collaborate with VR, game design and interactive peers. Published tuition is $64,990, with a $34,770 net price for aided first-years school-wide. Best for students who can afford a premium price, since the school-wide 91% completion rate is high, but the $34,770 net price is still substantial and the studio demands are heavy.
- Completion
- 91%
- Net price
- $34,770
- Grads a year
- 5
View Northeastern University's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
46 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation + VFX
Burbank, CA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
57.5 Woodbury's Animation + VFX B.F.A. is STEM-designated and taught in studios covering 2D, 3D, stop-motion and visual effects. Seniors make thesis films, and the campus in Burbank sits within 20 minutes of more than 15 animation and effects companies. Published tuition is $45,562 at this small college of 849 students, with aided first-years paying $31,257. Worth a look if you want to study within reach of the Los Angeles animation industry, though a school-wide completion rate of 64% and a $31,257 net price call for careful aid comparison.
- Completion
- 64%
- Net price
- $31,257
- Grads a year
- 18
View Woodbury University's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation + VFX
47 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation (Entertainment Arts)
Detroit, MI · Private nonprofit · Animation program
56.6 CCS's Animation (Entertainment Arts) B.F.A. teaches character performance, concept design and world-building through studio courses with working professionals, and students can customize their curriculum around industry tracks. It is STEM-designated, and about 67 students graduate from it each year. Published tuition is $51,950 at this Detroit college of 1,433 students. A good fit if you want a sizable cohort and a customizable path, but the $34,436 school-wide net price is high for a program whose school-wide completion rate is 60%.
- Completion
- 60%
- Net price
- $34,436
- Grads a year
- 67
View College for Creative Studies' Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation (Entertainment Arts)
48 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
Houston, TX · Private nonprofit · Animation program
56.4 Houston Christian's Animation B.F.A. lets students specialize in narrative storytelling, technical animation or visual effects after foundations in 2D and 3D digital design. The degree takes 125 credits, adds film history and theory, and requires an internship. Coursework includes faith-based material, and published tuition is $36,750 at this Houston campus. Suits students who want a required internship and a faith-based setting at a moderate net price, but the school-wide 48% completion rate means you should ask about advising and retention.
- Completion
- 48%
- Net price
- $20,530
- Grads a year
- 2
View Houston Christian University's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
49 Bachelor's in Game Art and Animation
Tempe, AZ · Private for-profit · Animation program
55.6 UAT's Game Art and Animation degree focuses on 2D and 3D asset creation for PC, console, mobile, online and virtual reality games. Students learn low- and high-polygon modeling, texturing, rigging and motion capture animation, then integrate assets into a game engine. Published tuition is $17,900 at this small for-profit university in Tempe. Look here if you want a narrow focus on game art assets at a lower sticker price, though only 48% finish school-wide, so ask about advising and the for-profit status.
- Completion
- 48%
- Net price
- $21,148
- Grads a year
- 2
View University of Advancing Technology's Bachelor's in Game Art and Animation
50 Bachelor of Arts in Digital Art & Animation
San Jose, CA · Private for-profit · Animation program
55.5 The Digital Art and Animation B.A. at University of Silicon Valley covers modeling, animation, entertainment design and technical art, with a portfolio at the end. Students take three courses per term instead of four, which slows the pace. Published tuition is $21,480 at this small for-profit university of 477 students in San Jose. Worth a look if you prefer a slower pace and a small campus, but the school-wide 52% completion rate and a net price above the published tuition are reasons to compare costs carefully.
- Completion
- 52%
- Net price
- $30,602
- Grads a year
- 27
View University of Silicon Valley's Bachelor of Arts in Digital Art & Animation
51 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
Lakewood, CO · Private for-profit · Animation program
54.1 RMCAD's Animation B.F.A. offers a 2D or 3D track, drawing and storyboarding foundations, and portfolio reviews at the sophomore, junior and senior levels. Small classes and locked-in tuition rates are part of the pitch. Published tuition is $17,760 at this for-profit college of 2,061 students in suburban Lakewood, Colorado, with a net price of $27,459 for aided first-years. The catch is that only 31% of students finish school-wide, and the net price exceeds the published tuition, so this suits only students who have confirmed their costs and support in writing.
- Completion
- 31%
- Net price
- $27,459
- Grads a year
- 46
View Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
52 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
53.9 USC's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation is run by the Hench Division of Animation and Digital Arts in its cinema school. Students explore 2D and 3D character animation, production design, motion graphics, real-time animation and immersive media, and may collaborate with music, dance, engineering and architecture students. Published tuition is $69,904. Best for students who can afford a premium price and want access to the film school, since a school-wide 93% completion rate is excellent, though the $41,496 net price is high.
- Completion
- 93%
- Net price
- $41,496
- Grads a year
- 14
View University of Southern California's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
53 Bachelor of Arts in Immersive Media
Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
53.8 Chatham's Immersive Media B.A. is an interdisciplinary degree in virtual and augmented reality, 3D modeling and game engines, with project work such as VR games, museum exhibits and projection mapping. It starts with an intro course, moves through studios and ends in a yearlong project. Published tuition is $43,518, and about three students graduate each year. A good fit if you want to explore virtual and augmented reality in a very small program, with a school-wide 67% completion rate, though only about three students graduate each year.
- Completion
- 67%
- Net price
- $29,051
- Grads a year
- 3
View Chatham University's Bachelor of Arts in Immersive Media
54 Bachelor of Science in Animation
Hollywood, CA · Private for-profit · Animation program
53.0 The Los Angeles Film School's B.S. in Animation builds on the 12 principles of animation and splits into a Visual Effects concentration and a Game Art concentration. The VFX path integrates effects with live footage, while Game Art builds 3D environments, props and characters for games and VR. Students finish with a professional reel at this Hollywood campus. Suits students who want a short, career-focused path in Hollywood, but a school-wide completion rate of 46% and a $32,944 net price are reasons to compare options and ask about outcomes.
- Completion
- 46%
- Net price
- $32,944
- Grads a year
- 95
View Los Angeles Film School's Bachelor of Science in Animation
55 Bachelor's in Animation
Cleveland, OH · Private nonprofit · Animation program
52.1 Cleveland Institute of Art gives animation students motion-capture systems, green-screen studios, drawing tablets and a render farm, plus an Interactive Media Lab with an extended reality studio. Faculty together hold more than 20 feature film credits. Published tuition is $45,600, and the college enrolls only 545 students in total, with about 19 graduates a year. Best for students who want a very small, equipment-rich art college, and a school-wide 58% completion rate is moderate, so the $33,527 net price deserves a close look against your aid offer.
- Completion
- 58%
- Net price
- $33,527
- Grads a year
- 19
View Cleveland Institute of Art's Bachelor's in Animation
56 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
Beverly, MA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
51.7 Montserrat's Animation B.F.A. treats animation as a bridge between fine art and commercial work, with courses in storytelling and acting through motion, draftsmanship and visual development. Students work on team and independent productions, and their best work appears in the yearly Media and Animation Showcase. Published tuition is $38,990 at this college of 227 students. Worth a look if you want a tiny, fine-art-oriented college with a showcase for your best work, and a school-wide 68% completion rate is decent, though the $35,885 net price is not low.
- Completion
- 68%
- Net price
- $35,885
- Grads a year
- 15
View Montserrat College of Art's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
57 Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3D Character Animation
Sarasota, FL · Private nonprofit · Animation program
51.6 Ringling's 3D Character Animation B.F.A. takes students through the full pipeline, from design and storyboarding to modeling, lighting, compositing and editing their own original films. Faculty are industry veterans, and eight computer labs plus three open labs share a campus render farm. Aided first-years pay a net price of $60,362 school-wide. A good fit if you want a character-focused pipeline with a strong school-wide 79% completion rate, but the $60,362 net price is high, so weigh it carefully against your aid offer.
- Completion
- 79%
- Net price
- $60,362
- Grads a year
- 132
View Ringling College of Art and Design's Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3D Character Animation
58 Bachelor of Arts in Animation
Austin, TX · Private nonprofit · Animation program
51.3 Saint Edward's Bachelor of Arts in Animation builds on drawing, script writing and sequential art, then has students make their own 2D, 3D and stop-motion films using Cintiq pen displays and stop-motion cameras. The Austin location opens internships with local studios. Published tuition is $50,484, and about two students graduate each year. Suits students who want to work in Austin and make their own films, though only about two students graduate each year and the $28,351 net price needs to fit your budget.
- Completion
- 62%
- Net price
- $28,351
- Grads a year
- 2
View Saint Edward's University's Bachelor of Arts in Animation
59 Bachelor of Science in Entertainment Design - Animation Track
Pasadena, CA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
51.2 ArtCenter's Entertainment Design animation track covers character animation, directing, storyboarding, modeling, layout, previs and lighting, with over an hour of animation produced in the program yearly. Students work in teams with illustration, game design and concept design majors. Published tuition is $53,086 at this Pasadena college of 2,308 students, and about 87 students graduate each year. A match for students who want to work in teams with illustration and concept design majors, with a school-wide 78% completion rate, though the $53,306 net price is among the steeper figures to plan for.
- Completion
- 78%
- Net price
- $53,306
- Grads a year
- 87
View Art Center College of Design's Bachelor of Science in Entertainment Design - Animation Track
60 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Animation
Rochester, NY · Private nonprofit · Animation program
51.1 RIT's Film and Animation B.F.A. offers an animation option in 2D, 3D and stop motion, plus a production option, with students making several short films from scripting and budgeting to sound design. A semester in Los Angeles is available for internships. Published tuition is $58,260 across the university, a large campus of 17,098 students. A good fit if you want to make several short films and try film and animation together, and a school-wide 71% completion rate is solid, though the $39,753 net price is considerable.
- Completion
- 71%
- Net price
- $39,753
- Grads a year
- 30
View Rochester Institute of Technology's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Animation
61 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation and Visual Effects Degree Program
Orange, CA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
50.6 Chapman's Animation and Visual Effects B.F.A. at Dodge College offers three areas of study: 2D animation, 3D animation and visual effects. Students use an LED wall and motion capture systems in virtual production workshops with film students, and they direct their own films. Published tuition is $64,580, and aided first-years pay $48,037 school-wide. Best for students who want virtual production training alongside film peers, and a school-wide 80% completion rate is strong, though the $48,037 school-wide net price requires real aid planning.
- Completion
- 80%
- Net price
- $48,037
- Grads a year
- 38
View Chapman University's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation and Visual Effects Degree Program
62 Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3D Animation and Visual Effects
New York, NY · Private for-profit · Animation program
50.4 SVA's 3D Animation and Visual Effects B.F.A. teaches the digital applications used in the film industry and offers green screen and motion capture facilities. Students learn to think about a production from inception through the pipeline to delivery. Published tuition is $51,400 at this New York City college, and aided first-years pay $59,211 school-wide. Suits students drawn to New York and a film-industry pipeline, and a school-wide 76% completion rate is good, but the $59,211 net price is above the published tuition, so check costs carefully.
- Completion
- 76%
- Net price
- $59,211
- Grads a year
- 80
View School of Visual Arts' Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3D Animation and Visual Effects
63 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
Baltimore, MD · Private nonprofit · Animation program
50.3 MICA's Animation B.F.A. is a studio degree at a private art and design college on a city campus in Baltimore. About 40 students graduate from it each year, a sizable cohort for a college that enrolls 1,687 students in total. Published tuition is $54,750, and aided first-years pay $43,066 school-wide. A good fit if you want a sizable animation cohort and a studio-based art college culture, with a school-wide 77% completion rate, though the $43,066 net price calls for a close look at aid.
- Completion
- 77%
- Net price
- $43,066
- Grads a year
- 40
View Maryland Institute College of Art's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
64 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Character Animation
Valencia, CA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
49.2 CalArts' Character Animation B.F.A. has students make an individually made short film every year, starting in the first year. The four-year sequence moves from life drawing, color, design and storytelling to dialogue, sound and music, then to advanced story classes and a customized final year. Published tuition is $58,318 at this suburban Valencia campus. Best for students who want to make a short film each year in a character-focused curriculum, and a school-wide 74% completion rate is solid, though the $57,288 net price is very high.
- Completion
- 74%
- Net price
- $57,288
- Grads a year
- 47
View California Institute of the Arts' Bachelor of Fine Arts in Character Animation
65 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Arts (3-D Animation and Motion Arts emphasis)
Brooklyn, NY · Private nonprofit · Animation program
48.8 Pratt's Digital Arts B.F.A. with a 3-D Animation and Motion Arts emphasis covers modeling, texturing, lighting, animation, compositing and simulation through story-driven projects. Students share studio space and work in groups on a Brooklyn campus of 25 green acres. Published tuition is $59,821, and about 61 students graduate each year. Worth a look if you want a collaborative studio culture in New York City, with a school-wide 72% completion rate, though the $51,702 net price and $59,821 sticker price are significant.
- Completion
- 72%
- Net price
- $51,702
- Grads a year
- 61
View Pratt Institute-Main's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Arts (3-D Animation and Motion Arts emphasis)
66 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
48.6 CCA's Animation B.F.A. is STEM-designated and mixes 2D, 3D, video game and stop-motion animation with drawing, sculpture, acting and storytelling. Tools include Cintiq monitors, Dragonframe, Toon Boom Harmony, Maya, a Foley room and a sound studio. Published tuition is $59,376 at this San Francisco college of 1,308 students, and about 49 students graduate each year. A good fit if you want a mix of animation styles in the Bay Area, and a school-wide 72% completion rate is decent, though the $49,945 net price makes aid essential.
- Completion
- 72%
- Net price
- $49,945
- Grads a year
- 49
View California College of the Arts' Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
67 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
47.8 Lesley's Animation B.F.A. is one of several art and design majors, each with 48 credits of studio requirements. Students can take 12 graduate credits toward a visual art education master's while finishing the bachelor's. Published tuition is $33,326 at this Cambridge university, and about four students graduate from animation each year. Suits students interested in teaching or art education, since graduate credits can count toward a master's, but only about four students finish the animation major yearly and the cohort is small.
- Completion
- 63%
- Net price
- $33,111
- Grads a year
- 4
View Lesley University's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
68 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
Savannah, GA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
47.6 SCAD's animation B.F.A. covers 2D, 3D and stop-motion animation, digital modeling, rigging, lighting and look development, and students team up with peers from more than 40 majors. The annual SCAD AnimationFest brings in industry speakers from major studios and film festivals. About 528 students graduate each year, and published tuition is $41,130. Best for students who want a huge, multi-major campus and a lively festival culture, with a school-wide 69% completion rate, though the $46,524 net price is considerable.
- Completion
- 69%
- Net price
- $46,524
- Grads a year
- 528
View Savannah College of Art and Design's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
69 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Design
Southfield, MI · Private nonprofit · Animation program
47.5 Lawrence Tech's Game Design B.F.A. is a project-driven program built on game systems, level design and game assembly in Unreal Engine. Students build and release playable games in a studio sequence with game software development students, and each gets a laptop with the professional tools. Published tuition is $42,360 at this Southfield university. A good fit if you want to ship playable games with software developers and receive a laptop, though a school-wide 56% completion rate and a $33,807 net price call for caution.
- Completion
- 56%
- Net price
- $33,807
- Grads a year
- 9
View Lawrence Technological University's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Design
70 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Art and Animation
Redmond, WA · Private for-profit · Animation program
47.3 DigiPen's Digital Art and Animation B.F.A. starts with observational drawing, perspective and color, then moves into 3D modeling, sculpting, lighting, texturing, simulations and 3D animation. Students repeatedly join teams with programmers, designers and audio specialists to build a playable game or animated film. Published tuition is $38,600 at this Redmond school. Ideal for students who want to build games and films alongside programmers, though a school-wide 56% completion rate and a $40,015 net price mean you should ask about advising and costs.
- Completion
- 56%
- Net price
- $40,015
- Grads a year
- 65
View DigiPen Institute of Technology's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Art and Animation
71 Bachelor of Arts in Animation
Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
47.0 LMU's 60-semester-hour Animation B.A. begins with drawing, storyboarding and filmmaking, leads to group animated films in sophomore year, and ends in an animated thesis. It adds introductions to 3D and interactive animation inside a liberal arts curriculum. Published tuition is $60,970 at this Los Angeles university, and aided first-years pay $54,471 school-wide. Suits students who want a compact, liberal-arts-based animation degree in Los Angeles, with a school-wide 80% completion rate, though the $54,471 net price is among the highest to plan for.
- Completion
- 80%
- Net price
- $54,471
- Grads a year
- 18
View Loyola Marymount University's Bachelor of Arts in Animation
72 Bachelor of Science in Animation & Visual Effects
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
45.3 Drexel's Animation and Visual Effects B.S. is a bachelor of science offered at a large private university of 21,153 students on a city campus in Philadelphia. About 16 students graduate from the program each year, and it takes a studio approach to motion work. Published tuition is $60,042, and aided first-years pay a net price of $42,342 school-wide. A good fit if you want a studio approach inside a large research university, and a school-wide 73% completion rate is strong, though the $42,342 net price is substantial.
- Completion
- 73%
- Net price
- $42,342
- Grads a year
- 16
View Drexel University's Bachelor of Science in Animation & Visual Effects
73 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
Laguna Beach, CA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
45.2 LCAD's Animation B.F.A. is a studio degree with two tracks: Character Animation, centered on classical hand-drawn 2D work, and Experimental Animation, which spans paperless 2D, digital puppetry, 3D, stop motion and visual effects. Faculty are industry veterans with credits across film, television and theme park attractions. Published tuition is $37,500 at this small college of 775 students. Best for students who want a choice between classical hand-drawn and experimental work at a small college, with a school-wide 67% completion rate, though the $44,285 net price is notable.
- Completion
- 67%
- Net price
- $44,285
- Grads a year
- 36
View Laguna College of Art and Design's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
74 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration and Animation
Syracuse, NY · Private nonprofit · Animation program
44.8 Syracuse's Illustration and Animation B.F.A. runs from figure drawing to high-end visual effects workflows and emerging artificial intelligence techniques, with individual and group projects. Students can spend a semester abroad or in Los Angeles with an internship. Published tuition is $63,710 at this Syracuse university, and aided first-years pay $51,520 school-wide. Worth a look if you want both illustration and animation skills, and a school-wide 82% completion rate is strong, but the $51,520 net price is high enough that aid decides the fit.
- Completion
- 82%
- Net price
- $51,520
- Grads a year
- 10
View Syracuse University's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration and Animation
75 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
Tampa, FL · Private nonprofit · Animation program
44.7 Tampa's Animation B.F.A. is a NASAD-accredited professional degree in 2D and 3D computer animation, motion effects and CGI, with Maya, motion capture, rotoscoping and sound design. A junior portfolio review and a senior capstone mark the path through the major, and graduates may go on to MFA study. Published tuition is $32,096 at this Florida university. A good fit if you want an accredited professional degree in Florida, with a school-wide 63% completion rate, and the $35,975 net price is easier to plan for than the sticker price suggests.
- Completion
- 63%
- Net price
- $35,975
- Grads a year
- 5
View The University of Tampa's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
76 Bachelor's in Animation and Production Design
Bennington, VT · Private nonprofit · Animation program
44.5 Bennington lets animation students build their own course of study, working in stop motion, drawn cels, cut-out models and CGI with DragonFrame, Maya and After Effects. Projects can start from poems, short stories or current events, and each term ends with a public screening of the finished animations. Published tuition is $65,398. Best for self-directed artists who want to shape their own path, though the school-wide net price of $35,108 is steep for a college with only 927 students and four animation graduates a year.
- Completion
- 63%
- Net price
- $35,108
- Grads a year
- 4
View Bennington College's Bachelor's in Animation and Production Design
77 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation & Game Art
Portland, ME · Private nonprofit · Animation program
41.6 MECA&D's animation and game art BFA lets juniors and seniors choose a focus on animated films, games or both, with 24/7 access to hardware and software for 2D digital, 3D and stop-motion work. Studio courses cover character and background design, storyboarding and 3D modeling, and portfolio reviews with industry artists are part of the path. Published tuition is $42,192. Suits students who want to keep both animation and games open until junior year, but school-wide completion is 45%, so ask how the department supports students through the studio sequence.
- Completion
- 45%
- Net price
- $37,132
- Grads a year
- 17
View Maine College of Art & Design's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation & Game Art
78 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Computer Animation
Boca Raton, FL · Private nonprofit · Animation program
40.1 Lynn's computer animation BFA splits into two tracks: animation, with motion graphics, comics and sequential art, or game art, with level design and digital sculpting. Both build on storyboarding, 3D modeling and cinematic lighting, and students finish with a portfolio. The program is on campus in Boca Raton, and published tuition is $42,730. A good fit if you want to choose between animation and game art after core coursework, though the school-wide net price of $39,582 is worth weighing against the program's 11 graduates a year.
- Completion
- 55%
- Net price
- $39,582
- Grads a year
- 11
View Lynn University's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Computer Animation
79 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation and Visual Effects
San Francisco, CA · Private for-profit · Animation program
40.0 Students in this BFA pick one emphasis from visual effects, 3D modeling, 3D animation, 2D animation and stop motion, or storyboarding. Core classes start with computer graphics, Unreal-based 3D production, filmmaking and stop-motion materials like clay and paper cutouts, then a careers course begins the portfolio. The degree can be earned on campus or online. Worth a look if you want a flexible choice of emphasis or an online option, but school-wide completion is only 26%, so ask how the department keeps students on track to graduate.
- Completion
- 26%
- Net price
- $36,591
- Grads a year
- 76
View Academy of Art University's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation and Visual Effects
80 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
Seattle, WA · Private nonprofit · Animation program
33.4 Cornish teaches 2D, 3D and stop-motion animation alongside character design and storytelling, in classes averaging 15 students. Annual student showcases and film festival submissions give work an audience, and professional-skills courses cover pitch decks, budgeting and team collaboration. It is a four-year, 120-credit in-person program on the South Lake Union campus in Seattle. Best for students who value small studio classes and a tight arts community in Seattle, though only three students graduate a year and the school-wide net price is $40,164, so check the program's size.
- Completion
- 54%
- Net price
- $40,164
- Grads a year
- 3
View Cornish College of the Arts' Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation
81 Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3D Animation & VFX
Burbank, CA · Private for-profit · Animation program
31.6 NYFA's 3D animation and VFX BFA is taught at its Los Angeles campus, where students build projects of rising complexity that mirror a professional production pipeline. Faculty include people with credits at Disney, DreamWorks, Universal and Netflix, and students finish with a demo reel for their portfolio. Published tuition is $35,212. Suits students who want a production-style pipeline and faculty with studio credits, but the school-wide net price is $50,504 and only two students graduate a year, so ask about outcomes and costs.
- Completion
- 65%
- Net price
- $50,504
- Grads a year
- 2
View New York Film Academy's Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3D Animation & VFX
82 Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design & Interactive Media
San Diego, CA · Private for-profit · Animation program
30.8 This is a graphic design degree with an animation strand, covering branding, user experience, 3D modeling and animation in in-person studios with faculty critique. Concentrations in gaming and digital product design are offered at the San Diego campus, so it suits students who want animation as one skill among several. Published tuition is $29,691. The catch is breadth: this is a design degree first, so it fits students who want animation as one skill among several, and the school-wide net price of $50,190 runs well above its $29,691 tuition.
- Completion
- 61%
- Net price
- $50,190
- Grads a year
- 3
View Newschool of Architecture and Design's Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design & Interactive Media
Every college in the 50 states and DC with a bachelor's in animation, from 2D and 3D animation to visual effects, motion graphics and game art. That range means this list mixes film-focused art schools with universities whose animation program feeds game studios.
If you want games specifically, look at what each program teaches after the first year. A program built for games will cover rigging, real-time animation and a game engine, and its students will work on teams with game design and programming students. A film-focused program will spend that time on story, cinematography and rendering. Both are animation degrees. They lead to different first jobs.
The 82 schools sit in 28 different states (DC counts as one), and the states with the most animation schools are California (14), New York (7), Florida (5). Each school appears once, on its animation bachelor's. A college with more than one qualifying program is scored on its highest-scoring one, so no school takes two places on the list.
This works as a 3D animation degree list and a game art degree list at the same time, because those programs share one field. A school that teaches character modeling and sculpting for games sits next to one that teaches hand-drawn film animation. 21 of these 82 schools also offer a bachelor's in game design, which usually means animation students and design students can share studios or an engine class. That overlap is worth looking for if you want a game art degree, because art students in games spend most of their time working beside designers and programmers.
The score can't tell you how good a program's teaching is. It compares completion, net price and size, which every school reports the same way, and the methodology page shows the weights. Use the score to build a short list of animation schools, then use the student reels and the guidance further down to choose from it. If you'd rather start from a place, the rankings by state page is the place to start from a location, and the game design school ranking covers the design side of the same studios.
The same pattern holds for most private art and film schools. They're large, they're focused, and their students finish, but the median private school here charges aided first-year students $33,500 a year. Their cards in the ranking above show it: compare graduates a year to see the big schools, or completion to see which graduate the most of the students they enroll.
Whether the extra cost buys you anything is a fair question to put to each school. Ask for the reel from last year's graduating class, the list of studios that hired them, and how many students were in the class. A school that can answer all three is giving you something to weigh against the price.
Size is the clearest way to see the famous names. The 5 schools below graduate the most animation majors, and together they produce about 33% of the 3011 animation bachelor's graduates a year in this ranking. 1 of the 5 reach the top 25. Their median net price is $32,900, against $27,600 for all 82 schools.
Graduates a year are the program's own; completion and net price are school-wide figures.
Size earns up to 20 points, and it is capped. A program reaching 50 graduates a year gets all 20, which 17 of the 82 schools do. Completion earns up to 40 points, scaled to the school's own rate, and the median here is 63%. Cost earns up to 40 points on a sliding scale: schools at or below $14,400 a year get all of them, schools at $43,600 or more get none, and the points fall evenly in between. 13 schools are in that last group. A big private school can top out on size, do well on completion and still land in the middle of the ranking on price alone.
The reverse happens too. A small public program with a low net price can outscore a famous one, and that's a real finding. It doesn't mean the small program has better teaching. It means you'd pay less for the same kind of degree, so the question for you is what the extra price buys. If the answer is a specific faculty member, a studio partnership or a pipeline you can verify, that's a good reason to pay it. If the answer is the name, check it against the reels first.
Here's the part to plan around. BLS projects a decline of 0.3% in special effects artist and animator jobs from 2025 to 2035, while all jobs grow 3.5%. The pay is good for people who get hired. Getting hired is the hard part, so the two things you control matter more than usual: keep your debt low, and leave with a reel that shows finished work.
Game studios are one of the places animators work, alongside film, TV and advertising. A technical artist role sits between animation and programming and is one path animation graduates take into games.
The median hides a wide spread. The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is $118,510, and the middle half of animators earn between $75,490 and $139,130. The mean is $112,870, above the median, which tells you a group of very well-paid senior artists pulls the average up. The median is $51,050 above the median for all occupations ($50,980). That's a real premium, but it belongs to the people who are working, and BLS counted about 19,970 payroll jobs in the occupation nationally. It's a small field.
Where the jobs are matters. Among states with published figures, California, New York, Florida have the most animator jobs, holding about 52% of the national count between them. The highest published state median is $133,480 in Washington. Studios cluster in a few metros, so a local animation school often places graduates in that region first. If you'd rather study somewhere cheaper and move later, plan for that move. The full state table is on the animator salary page, and the salaries hub compares animators with the other game jobs.
An animation degree can lead to adjacent art work too. BLS counts concept artists with fine artists, painters, sculptors and illustrators, and reports a national median of $55,490 for that group. Game developers are counted as software developers, with a median of $135,980. The animator median of $102,030 falls between the two. That's a good pay spot for an art career, but programming is the better-paid road if pay is the only thing you're weighing. The careers hub lays the jobs side by side, and the programming-side ranking covers the programming route.
Two things to do with these numbers. First, compare the pay with the price. Four years at the median net price here is about $110,300, and the lowest-paid 10% of animators earn under $58,600 a year. Second, check the jobs figure for yourself: BLS projects about 4,200 openings a year in the occupation, which includes people leaving and changing jobs, not only new positions. Those openings are what you'd be competing for with each year's graduates from 82 schools. A good reel is the only thing that sets you apart.
There are also 87 associate programs and 17 master's programs in animation. An associate degree at a community college is a cheap way to build drawing and 3D fundamentals before transferring. A master's, usually an MFA, makes the most sense if you want to teach or already have a bachelor's in another field.
If you're deciding between animation and game design, the best game design schools ranking covers the design side, and game design vs. game development explains how the jobs split.
The 87 associate programs are at 87 schools, and 84 of them are at public colleges. They aren't in this ranking because a two-year program is a different product from a bachelor's. It can still be the smartest first step. Two years of drawing, basic 3D and a first reel at community college prices, then a transfer into a bachelor's, can cut the cost of the degree a lot. The catch is credit transfer. Before you enroll, ask the four-year school in writing which animation and studio courses it accepts, because art courses transfer less cleanly than general education ones.
There are 17 schools with a master's in animation, and 17 of them publish graduate tuition and completions. The median in-state graduate tuition among those is $31,000 a year. A master's adds the most for people who want to teach at a college, who want a studio year to build a stronger reel, or who are switching in from another field. It adds less if your bachelor's was already in animation and you simply want a better job offer. A reel gets the offer, not the extra degree. Our graduate ranking for the rest of the field covers design, simulation and programming degrees, and animation master's programs sit outside it.
Game art is rarely a degree of its own, so a game art degree is usually an animation, 3D modeling or interactive technology program with a games emphasis. Look for environment art, character art, texturing and a real-time engine in the course list. The jobs on the other side include a technical artist role, and the programming-side ranking is where to look if you lean toward code.
The best animation colleges for you are the ones whose reels and price both hold up. The median net price across these 82 schools is $27,600 a year, which is about $110,300 over four years, but the spread is wide. This is how many schools fall into each price bracket, and the cost points a school in that bracket earns out of 40.
Net price is what students receiving aid pay on average, after grants. Your own number will differ, so run each school's net price calculator with your family's figures. At public schools the median is $14,600 and at private ones $33,500. Median completion is 56% at public schools and 64% at private ones, so compare those before you assume a higher price buys a better chance of finishing.
Build your short list from the cards above, cut it by price, then judge what's left on the student reels. If you're still deciding between animation and design, the online game design programs ranking is the one to check if distance learning matters to you.
