Studying animation can be an exciting path for students interested in visual storytelling, digital media, games, and visual effects. A degree in this field can help students build creative, technical, and portfolio-development skills for careers in entertainment and other sectors. Many notable animation schools around the world offer different curricula, but most help students explore animation techniques, moving-image production, storytelling, and digital media. Animation is not limited to the entertainment industry; it is also used in areas such as education, advertising, games, design, and visual communication.
Below, we will be talking about some of the world’s best-known animation schools.
Top Animation Schools in the World
1. Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) is one of the leading animation schools in the US and the world. RISD ranks 4th in the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject for Art & Design. The school offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film/Animation/Video, allowing students to work across animation, live action, and open media.
The program helps students develop creative thinking, sociocultural awareness, and technical skills in moving images and sound. Students build a foundation in film, video, animation, and digital media before choosing to specialize in live action, animation, or open media.
Rhode Island School of Design provides production studios and facilities for film, video, puppet animation, digital editing, sound mixing, CGI, and Mac-based production work. Notable alumni connected to animation include Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
2. Ringling College of Art and Design
Ringling College of Art and Design is a highly regarded applied arts school that offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Computer Animation. In this program, students learn to create characters and tell stories while developing skills in design, painting, modeling, texturing, animation, lighting, compositing, editing, and original film production.
The program helps students build both technical skills and creativity, which are essential for animated character creation and visual storytelling. Required courses include Computer Animation, Visual Development for Computer Animation, Traditional Animation, Story Development, and Animation Preproduction.
According to Animation Career Review’s 2025 college rankings, Ringling College of Art and Design ranked 3rd among animation schools and colleges in the United States.
3. Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a leading postgraduate art and design institution in London. It ranks 1st in the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject for Art & Design.
The school’s work focuses on art and design education, research, and professional practice across a range of creative fields.
RCA offers a Master of Arts in Animation. The program is a full-time, 180-credit course that runs for one year, or 45 weeks, and supports creative and critical investigation across analogue, digital, and hybrid animation practices.
The institution focuses on helping students create meaningful work in social and cultural contexts while developing their artistic, intellectual, and professional practice.
4. California Institute of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is another notable animation school. It was incorporated in 1961 after Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney guided the merger of the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and Chouinard Art Institute. CalArts offers animation programs through its School of Film/Video, including Character Animation and Experimental Animation.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Character Animation focuses on helping students develop as animation artists in both traditional and computer graphic animation environments.
In the first year of the Character Animation program, students study life drawing, color and design, storytelling, and character animation. As they progress, they develop their portfolios, create individual short films, and customize their coursework according to their interests.
CalArts also offers Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts programs in Experimental Animation. These programs allow students to explore a wide range of animation approaches, from handmade practices to computer animation, while developing a personal artistic voice.
5. University of Arts London
The University of the Arts London is Europe’s largest higher education institution dedicated to fashion, art, design, and the performing arts. It ranks 2nd in the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject for Art & Design. UAL offers several animation-related degrees, including BA (Hons) Animation, BA (Hons) Computer Animation and Visual Effects, MA Animation, and MA 3D Computer Animation.
At the undergraduate level, BA (Hons) Animation is a practice-led course with two specialist pathways: Experimental and Character. Students can also choose BA (Hons) Computer Animation and Visual Effects, which focuses on 2D and 3D digital tools, visual effects practices, and emerging technologies such as virtual production, virtual reality, motion capture, and Unreal Engine. At the master’s level, MA Animation explores theory and practice across experimental visual media, while MA 3D Computer Animation focuses on digital 3D animation for film, television, games, and interactive applications.
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) offers animation study through its Animation & Special Effects undergraduate minor, which is open to students from any major. Students may also take IDeATe animation and special effects courses without pursuing the minor.
The minor allows students to study areas such as performance capture, rendering, 2D and 3D animation, and special effects. CMU’s School of Art also offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts program that includes experimental digital media such as animation, games, XR, and creative coding within a broader interdisciplinary fine arts curriculum.
7. University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC) is the oldest private research university in California. It is known for academic and research programs across multiple fields, including liberal arts, arts, and sciences.
USC’s John C. Hench Division of Animation + Digital Arts offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Fine Arts in Animation + Digital Arts. The BFA program introduces students to design fundamentals, industry-standard digital tools, storyboarding, cinematic principles, character animation, and performance. The three-year MFA program allows advanced students to refine their animation, production, and motion design skills through theory, practice, and a thesis film or project.
Even though the market for animators can be competitive, animation can still be a worthwhile degree for international students who want to build creative and technical skills. Many animators pursue careers in studios, games, visual effects, motion design, freelance work, or content creation.
We hope that you found this article on the best animation schools in the world informative and helpful. If you are interested, check out the Available Courses for International Students!
