Top 25 International Animation Schools and Colleges - 2022 College Rankings

Gobelins, l'école de l'image (Gobelins, School of Images) has been around since 1964, making it one of the world’s oldest animation schools. A member of the European Animation School Network, Gobelins serves more than 1,100 students enrolled in programs that lead to a BA, MA or Professional Certification.

The Animation Program at Gobelins has multiple pathway options including the 3D Character Animator Professional Certificate (Level II, 2 years), the 3D Character Animator Professional Certificate (Level II, 3 years), the BA in Animation and Character Animation and Animated Filmmaking (three years), and the MA in Character Animation and Animated Filmmaking (two years).

An Animation Preparatory Year Program is available and open to students with a high school diploma who would like to develop basic artistic and technical animation skills. This program allows students to create at least one project and a portfolio. The Animation Preparatory Year Program can be an entry point for the Gobelins BA in Animation Program.

Across programs, students will explore areas such as acting, 3D layout, body mechanics, animation of characters, motion capture techniques, character and background design, scriptwriting, direction, sound design, storyboarding, the 3D pipeline, dynamics of movement, editing, special effects, and compositing.

Students in all Gobelins Animation Programs have the opportunity to produce a number of short films and a professional demo reel. Students will complete a mandatory two-month internship in France or abroad and participate in workshops and projects sponsored by partner companies and public institutions such as the French Ministry of Justice, Universal Music, Dell, Netflix, BMW, Musée Picasso, and Olympus.

Thanks to events such as the Speed-Recruiting event, which attracts more than 50 companies during the last year of the programs, graduates of the Gobelins Animation Programs enjoy a near 90% job placement rate within six months of graduation.

Bournemouth University (BU) is home to the National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA)—one of just a few research-intensive animation centres in the UK. Serving more than 19,000 students and one of the Top 70 Young Universities in the World, BU is also one of the few institutions that have been granted Houdini Certified School status by Side Effects Software. 

The NCCA has three undergraduate Animation course options: BA (Hons) Computer Animation Art & Design, BA (Hons) Computer Animation Technical Arts and BA (Hons) Visual Effects. Students can study the courses for 3 years with an optional 8-week placement, or 4 years with a 30-week placement and will have access to specialist facilities including a new green screen and motion capture studio, as well as animation laboratories, equipped with industry-standard software.  All courses culminate with a major project and dissertation, which students may complete individually or in a group. 

Graduates of the BA (Hons) Animation degrees at Bournemouth University enjoy a near 90% employment rate or further study within six months of graduation. BU NCCA alumni have worked on films such as Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, The Avengers, Blade Runner 2049, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Dunkirk. 

At postgraduate level, the NCCA offers courses in MA 3D Computer Animation, MA Digital Effects, MSc Computer Animation & Visual Effects, and MSc Artificial Intelligence for Media. The Master’s degrees take one year to complete, including an optional three-month placement. Postgraduate students will learn and create in a professional studio environment with facilities that include green screen studios and animation labs, a motion capture studio, and a full suite of industry standard 2D and 3D Software such as Maya, Mari, Z-Brush, Nuke, Adobe Creative Suite, Substance Painter and many more. Other features include a collaborative environment, the visiting practitioners lecture series, and the Master’s Project, with a set production time to create a professional, original project that will be presented at the Degree Show for major industry recruiters. 

Graduates from the BU Master's courses are highly sought after within the industry. Our alumni have worked on many high-profile projects, including movies such as Venom, Paddington 2, Avatar, Star Wars, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong, Shrek, Guardians of Ga'hoole, the Harry Potter series, Sucker Punch, Happy Feet, Monsters vs Aliens, James Bond and Judge Dredd, among many others.

All NCCA students also have the opportunity to attend the Annual BFX Festival, which features masterclasses and talks by award-winning industry professionals. 

The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a postgraduate institution that has advanced degrees in the areas of Art, Communication, Design, and Humanities. Established in 1837 and serving around 2,300 students, RCA is the only entirely postgraduate institution of university status offering degrees in these specific areas. Programs at RCA are housed in the Schools of Architecture, Communication, Arts & Humanities, and Design.

The School of Communication is home to the Animation Program, which has been in existence for more than 30 years. Leading to an MA, Animation is a multidisciplinary program that takes two-years to complete, full-time. The program explores animation forms, methods and contexts, VR and AR, drawing and illustration, projection mapping, extra-cinematic animation, games and apps, drama, film and media, STEM disciplines, and more.

Other program features include visiting artists and professionals, workshops, multidisciplinary elective options, a collaborative learning environment, and experiential learning opportunities such as field trips to animation studios, museums, exhibitions, and archives.

The Animation MA Program at Royal College of Art culminates with the Independent Research Project that will be presented to the Examination Board.

RMIT University (RMIT) has an Animation Program with both undergraduate and graduate options. The Bachelor of Design in Animation and Interactive Media is a full-time, three-year program that explores 2D and 3D animation, interactive media, and special effects. Course examples for the program include Animation and Interactive Media Studio 1-4, Animation and Interactive Media Design for Movement, 2D and 3D Animation, Sound Design for animation, Advanced Visual Effects, and 3D Animation Practice.

Graduates of the RMIT Bachelor of Design in Animation Program work as Animators, 3D Visualizers and Modelers, Digital Artists, Art Directors, Character Designers, Motion Graphic Designers, Pre-Production Artists, and Visual Effects Artists. Some program graduates teach, while others have launched their own studios and freelance businesses.

At the graduate level, RMIT has a Master of Animation, Games, and Interactivity and a six-month Graduate Certificate in Animation, Games, and Interactivity that guarantees entry into the Master Program. The RMIT Master of Animation, Games, and Interactivity can be completed in two years full-time or four years part-time. The program equips students for technical careers in all areas of animation, games, and interactive media.

Program features include access to industry-standard technology and contemporary studios, a collaborative learning and production environment with access to industry professionals, academic staff, and research centers such as the Centre for Games Design Research, and the opportunity to work alongside the creative co-working community ACMI X, and exhibit at Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF).    

Course examples for Master’s Program include Animated Narratives, Animation, Games and Interactivity Studio 1-3, The Illusion of Life,  Advanced Play Design, Character, Place and Simulation, Research Methods for Design and Digital Media, and Professional Preproduction. In year two of the program, students will complete the Professional Research Project (Animation, Games and Interactivity) worth 24 credit points, and the Animation, Games and Interactivity Industry Portfolio, worth 12 credit points.

Students in both RMIT Animation Programs have access to industry partnerships with the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), the Australian Centre for The Moving Image (ACMI), ANZ, and the Australia Post. In addition to MIFF, all students have the opportunity to exhibit at festivals and conferences such as the Melbourne International Animation Festival (MIAF), Annecy, MILIA, Siggraph, and LIAF.

Graduates of the Master of Animation, Games, and Interactivity Program at RMIT University can pursue positions in every area of animation, games and interactivity as well as Research with ACMI X and the RMIT Centre for Games Design Research, which includes the Exertion Games Lab (XGL) and Creative interventions, Art and Rehabilitative Technology (CiART). In addition to Research careers, program alumni can pursue careers in 2D or 3D Animation, Character Design, Interaction Design, App and Web Development, Visual Effects, Games Development, Motion Graphics Design, Pre-Production Art, Web Design, VR and AR, and Interaction Design.

Home to 97,000 students from more than 230 countries, and 9,000 educators and staff, RMIT University was founded in 1887 and established as a university in 1992. With an additional campus in Vietnam, RMIT offers hundreds of programs at all degree levels across 17 schools in several academic colleges. The College of Design and Social Context (DSC), which consists of seven schools, houses the School of Design, home to the RMIT Animation Programs.

RUBIKA specializes in 2D/3D Animation, Design, and Video Games. Programs are collaborative and studio-based, with options across four campuses in Valenciennes (France), Montreal (Canada), Pune (India), and Nairobi (Kenya). With more than 1,300 students attending each year, Rubika has partnerships with more than 300 companies and a 90% employment rate within a year of graduating. Examples of RUBIKA partners include DreamWorks Animation, Gameloft, Pixar, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Disney, Illumination Mac Guff, Framestore, Ubisoft, and Aardman.

Launched in 1988, the Animation Program at RUBIKA has 2D Animation and 3D Animation Programs that lead to a Bachelor’s Degree in three years and a Master’s Degree in five years. Program features include several mandatory internships, participation in festivals and contests, annual projects that allow students to work on project and team management, and a Final 3D Animation Project that will be presented to a professional jury.

Graduates of the Animation Programs at RUBIKA are CG Animators, Technical Animators, 2D/3D Animators, VR Animators, Character Designers, VFX Artists, Modeling Artists, Compositing Artists, Shading & Texture Artists, Lighting Artists, Riggers, Layout/Tracking Artists, Lighting Artists and, Set & Environmental Artists. They work at studios such as Aardman, Disney Animation Studios, DreamWorks, Framestore, Illumination Mac Guff, Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), and Pixar.

Griffith University (Griffith U) is named after Sir Samuel Walker Griffith, former Queensland Premier and the first Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, who was the first in the country to introduce degrees in Environmental Science and Modern Asian Studies.

Established in 1975, Griffith U serves around 50,000 students, enrolled in more than 200 degree programs across six campuses in South East Queensland, Australia. Programs at Griffith U are housed in more than 20 schools and departments, including Griffith Film School—the largest school of its kind in Australia.

Also a Toon Boom Center of Excellence, Griffith Film School has an Animation Program that provides the opportunity to collaborate with students in Queensland College of Art and Queensland Conservatorium. Other program features include participation in Experience Week, guest lectures, the opportunity to collaborate on productions with partner institutions such as Beijing Film Academy and Falmouth University, access to exhibitions, Animation masterclasses presented by Gobelins School in Paris and Oscar-winning producer, Lord David Puttnam, and participation in film festivals and exchange study tours.

Leading to a Bachelor of Animation, the Animation Program at Griffith U has four majors: Animating, Art Direction, Technical Direction (CGI), and Streams in Post-Production FX, Script and Stop-Motion Fabrication. Students in all programs have the option to work with 3D puppet or clay animation, experimental media, 2D, 3D, or motion-capture digital animation, or traditional drawn animation. Animation students will have opportunities to work on projects for real clients through LiveLab (Griffith Film School’s commercial production division), and intern with local Animation studios such as Ludo Studio.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Animation Program at Griffith U’s Griffith Film School are prepared to pursue careers in Character Design for 2D and CGI/3D-animated projects, Illustration, Production Management, Visual Effects, Storyboarding, 2D, 3D and Stop-Motion Animation, Compositing, Comics and Graphic Art, Pre-Visualization, Scriptwriting, Matte Painting, and Motion Capture.

The Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building at University of Technology Sydney (UTS) has an Animation Program with several options including the Bachelor of Design in Animation, Bachelor of Animation Production, and Master of Animation and Visualization. All programs feature hands-on experience, internship opportunities, animation studio courses, and elective options that allow students to develop skills in additional areas in animation. 

The Bachelor of Design Program explores 2D and 3D animation, drawing, character development, storytelling, and VFX design. Specific course examples include Animation Studio: Narrative Experimentations, 2D and 3D Context, Advanced Animation Character Rigging, Illustration, Moving Image Design: Animation, and Thinking Through Design. The program culminates with the Animation Studio: Industry Project course.

Graduates of this program are prepared for animation careers in television, film, and multimedia. Animator, VFX Artist, Storyboard Artist, Compositor, Producer, Modeler, Art Director, Character Designer, Concept Artist,  Scriptwriter, and Rigger are just a few potential job titles.

The Bachelor of Animation Production at University of Technology Sydney is a three year, full-time program that consists of core courses, communication coursework, and electives. 

The UTS Master of Animation and Visualization was developed in partnership with Animal Logic, and it is offered through the UTS Animal Logic Academy. Program highlights include mentoring by industry professionals, learning modeled on real-world production work structures in a custom-built digital studio, and collaborative work practices. Course highlights for the program include The Challenge Studio, The Collaboration Studio, and the Connected Studio.

Career options for graduates of the Animation Programs at UTS include Animator, Animation Scriptwriter, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Character Designer, Compositor, Concept Artist, Director, Editor, Effects (FX) Animator, Matchmover/3D Tracker, Modeler, Previsualization Artist (Previs) Producer, Rigger, Scriptwriter, Storyboard Artist, Rigger, Roto Designer, Stop Frame Model Animator (Claymation), and VFX Artist.

Pearson College London (PCL) houses Escape Studios, which provides programs in Animation, Game Art, Motion Graphics, and Visual Effects. All PCL programs have been created in partnership with major studios such as PlayStation London, Framestore, and DNEG. Pearson College of London is also a Houdini Certified School and an Unreal Engine Authorized Training Center—one of the few in the UK.

Students in all PCL programs have the opportunity to network with industry partners such as Cinesite, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), London Studios, MPC, Passion Pictures, Blue Zoo, State of Play, and Jellyfish Pictures. Internships and study abroad opportunities are part of the PCL programs as well as access to artists who have worked for DreamWorks, Warner Bros., Fox, and Disney.

Founded in 2002, Escape Studios at Pearson College London has the following degree pathways for animators: BA/MArt in The Art of Computer Animation (Integrated Masters) and MA Degrees in 3D Animation, Character & Creature Creation, and Storyboarding & Previsualization. Short Programs lasting anywhere from eight to 20 weeks are available and include examples such as 3D Animation (20 weeks), Advanced Animation (18 weeks), Storyboarding & Previsualization (12 weeks or 18 weeks), and 2D Animation with Toon Boom Harmony (12 weeks), Animation (12 weeks).

Students in all Escape Studios programs will complete intensive training sessions on industry-professional software such as Maya and Toon Boom Harmony. Programs also take place in classrooms that look and feel like real animation studios. Students will have the opportunity to master all areas of the animation production pipeline.

PCL - Escape Studios graduates have worked on productions such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, Avengers, Captain America: Civil War, Ex Machina, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Gravity, Interstellar, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and The Jungle Book. PCL alumni have also worked on games such as Assassin’s Creed and Forza Horizon, and award winning advertisements. Many program alumni have gone on to launch their own studios or freelance businesses.

Beijing Film Academy (BFA) is China’s only film academy and the largest film school in Asia. Established in 1950 as the Performance Art Institution of the Film Bureau of the Ministry of Culture, BFA opened with just 38 students. Today, BFA serves more than 2,000 students across 15 departments and schools.

The Animation School at Beijing Film Academy launched in 2000 with one Animation Major in the Department of Fine Arts of BFA. When it opened, the Animation School was the first academic unit of its kind in China. Today, the BFA Animation School serves more than 350 students enrolled in Programs leading to a BA, MFA or PhD. BFA has collaborated on projects with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, Gobelins, l'école de l'image (Gobelins, School of Images), Straight Entertainment (Hollywood, CA), and Taylor’s University, among others.

All Beijing Film Academy students benefit from interdisciplinary studies, long-term cooperative relationships with the major studios in China and abroad, participation in exchange workshops with the Korean Academy of Film Art (KAFA) or the Netherland Film Academy (NFA), and the opportunity to participate in the student film festival known as “Cinerent Award.” Graduates of the Animation Programs at Beijing Film Academy go onto establish careers in all areas of Animation, Film, Gaming, Television, and Visual Effects, among others.  

The Faculty of Fine Arts and Music at University of Melbourne (est. 1853) houses the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), home to the Animation BFA Program. Students in this program will study and work in an intensive, experimental studio-based environment that allows collaboration with peers in programs across Film and Television, Production, Visual Art and Design, and Music and Performing Arts.

Courses for the program explore animation research and techniques, storyboarding, experimentation, world building, sound production, writing, project planning, and character creation. Course examples include Animation Studio, Writing for Animation, Animation Lab, and Collaborative Production. Animation BFA students will have the opportunity to animate, direct, write, and edit short animated film in each year of the program.

The Animation BFA Program at University of Melbourne can be completed in just three years, full-time. Program alumni are prepared for animation careers in the film and television industries, game design, advertising, information, exhibit design, and community arts, among others.

Established in 1991, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) serves 33,000 students making it one of the two largest public universities in Singapore. The College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CoHASS) at NTU houses the School of Art, Design and Media (ADM) which focuses on interdisciplinary learning programs, collaborative classrooms, and experiential learning such as projects, fieldwork, internships, and study abroad programs.

For animators, NTU’s School of ADM has a Media Art Program that combines Digital Animation, Games, Digital Filmmaking, and Photography. Leading to a BFA, the Media Art Program allows students to add a Minor from a list of more than 40 options. Examples include Design and Systems Thinking, Film, and Science, Technology, and Society.

Course examples for the NTU Media Art BFA Program include 3D Character Animation, 3D Production, Storyboarding & Production Design, Rigging for Animation, Digital Compositing, Writing for Animation, Lighting and Rendering Pipeline, Advanced Stop Motion, Visual Effects I-II, Game Design, Film Editing, and Digital Photography.

Graduates of the Media Art Program at Nanyang Technological University are prepared to pursue careers in Animation, Game Art and Design, Film, Advertising, and VFX.

The School of Animation at ChungKang College of Cultural Industries (ChungKang) has an Animation Program that consists of three years of college coursework, followed by one year of intensive training in the Animation Major. The curriculum for the program is studio- and project-based, workshop intensive, and multidisciplinary, allowing students to study cartooning, game design, and animation. The curriculum also explores animation production, planning, directing, and post-production.

Course examples for the program include Animation Genre & History, Experimental Animation, Visual Storytelling, Animation Sound, Digital Imaging, Animation Directing, Character Design, 3D Animating, Techniques of Digital Animation, Visual Development, Animation Acting, Storyboarding, Advanced Animation pre-Production, and CFX Simulation. Intensive workshops include 2D Animation Production I-II, 3D Modeling, and 3D Animation.

Other program features include access to state-of-the-facilities, including the largest animation studio in Korea, a sound recording studio, and a render farm, courses taught by industry professionals, a tutoring program, opportunities to gain experience through mandatory internships (local and overseas), independent study opportunities, and portfolio development.

The Animation BA Program at ChungKang College of Cultural Studies culminates with the Animation Project—Capstone Design.

ChungKang College of Cultural Industries opened in 1996 as South Korea’s first post-secondary institution to focus primarily on the cultural industries. Today, in addition to Animation, ChungKang houses the Schools of Manhwa Contents, Games, Culinary Arts, Fashion & Beauty Style, Musical & Theatre, Mobile IT, and the Department of Early Childhood Education.

Image Campus has 2D Animation, 3D Animation, and Motion Graphics Programs that can be completed on campus or 100% online in four to nine months or three years. The shorter programs lead to a Certificate of Approval. Three-year programs lead to a post-secondary degree.

All options explore the 12 Principles of Animation. Students will also take courses that explore areas such as Character Animation, Storytelling, Drawing Tools for Animation, Human Locomotion, Acting, and Sound. Across options students will participate in workshops, seminars, and the internship program.

Graduates will leave the Animation and Motion Graphics Programs at Image Campus with a portfolio of their best work or a demo reel. Around 95% of Image Campus Animation alumni are working in the industry. Examples include Video Art and Animation, 3D Animation for Videogames, Advertising, Production and Animation 3D, Comprehensive Realization of Cartoons, Video Game Development, and Production and Game Design, among other areas.