2026 Best Animation Colleges

Academic Highlights: CalArts offers an intensely personalized arts education with an exceptional 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio, ensuring every student receives individual mentorship and guidance. The curriculum across its six schools combines rigorous studio practice with critical theory, fostering both technical mastery and conceptual depth. This unique environment encourages experimental art-making where students develop distinctive creative voices under the guidance of working artist faculty.

Professional Outcomes: CalArts graduates shape global arts and entertainment, with alumni leading at Apple, Netflix, Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks. While many artists pursue successful freelance careers, the institute’s industry connections place graduates at the heart of creative innovation. The financial returns are impressive—early median earnings of $71,600 grow to $113,200 at mid-career, demonstrating that artistic excellence translates to sustainable success.

Academic Highlights: Aided by a favorable 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, the school does an excellent job facilitating undergraduate research opportunities. Each school/college has a course entitled Directed Research 490 in which students work closely with a faculty supervisor and earn between two and eight credits, countless other opportunities exist to get one’s hands dirty in academic research. Each department has its own slate of study abroad offerings and Maymester programs, which are short-term intensive courses held stateside and abroad.

Professional Outcomes: 93% of undergrads experience positive postgraduation outcomes within six months of earning their degree. The median salary across all majors is an astounding $85k. Presently, between 500 and 2,500 alumni are employed at each of Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, NVIDIA, and Oracle. Graduate/professional schools enrolling the greatest number of 2023 USC grads include Columbia, UCLA, Pepperdine, and Harvard, with most remaining at USC for their advanced studies.

Academic Highlights: NYU is divided into a number of smaller (but still quite large) colleges organized by discipline; in sum, there are 270 areas of undergraduate study across nine schools and colleges. For its size, a commendable 59% of classes have an enrollment under 20 students. The school puts a great deal of money into undergraduate research, and it has been running an Undergraduate Research Conference for over forty years. Summer research opportunities are plentiful, including through the School of Engineering’s ten-week summer research program for rising juniors and seniors. With more than 4,000 students studying in foreign countries each year, NYU sends more undergrads abroad than any other US university.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of exiting, 94% of Class of 2023 grads had landed at their next destination, with 71% employed and 26% in graduate school. Large numbers of alumni can be found at Google, Amazon, JP Morgan Chase, Citi, Meta, Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs. The mean starting salary is $76,011. New York is (by more than ten times) the most popular destination over number two choice California. New Jersey, Texas, and Massachusetts were next in attracting the highest numbers of recent alumni.

Academic Highlights: As Florida’s only institution dedicated exclusively to art and design education, Ringling College offers an intensely focused creative education through its 13 specialized degree programs. With an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio and a student body representing 54 countries and 44 states, the college fosters a vibrant, globally-minded artistic community. The innovative First Year Program immerses students in their chosen disciplines immediately, with a curriculum tailored to each major—ensuring no time is wasted on generic foundation courses and allowing for deep, specialized skill development from day one.

Professional Outcomes: Ringling graduates thrive in both entrepreneurial and corporate creative roles, with many building successful freelance practices while others lead at industry powerhouses like Pixar, Disney, DreamWorks, and Meta. The college’s groundbreaking INDEX program bridges academia and industry by partnering students with major companies to solve real-world creative challenges. These professional opportunities yield strong career outcomes, with alumni shaping visual culture everywhere from animation studios to game developers to iconic brands, demonstrating the exceptional market readiness of a Ringling education.

Academic Highlights: Pratt Institute delivers an exceptionally personalized arts education through its 26 majors and 48 academic programs, all supported by 1,200 dedicated faculty members. The institute maintains an intimate 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, creating an environment where mentorship and individualized attention thrive. This focused approach allows students to develop their creative practice while engaging deeply with faculty who are working professionals in their fields.

Professional Outcomes: Pratt’s career outcomes speak volumes, with 91% of recent graduates employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation. Alumni are highly sought after by industry leaders across creative sectors, including Apple, Google, Meta, and cultural institutions like The Met. The institute’s strong industry connections yield excellent financial returns, with graduates earning median salaries of $67,000 early in their careers, nearly doubling to $130,600 by mid-career. These results demonstrate Pratt’s unparalleled ability to launch sustainable, successful careers.

Academic Highlights: RISD offers an exceptionally intimate learning environment with an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio and average class size of just 15 students, ensuring deep mentorship from working artist-educators. The global student body represents 57 countries across 44 degree programs. All first-years engage in the innovative Experimental and Foundation Studies (EFS) curriculum—a full-day weekly studio experience that builds creative fundamentals through rigorous faculty collaboration. For those seeking an international perspective, the First Year in Florence Program extends this transformative foundational experience to Italy, maintaining RISD’s signature hands-on approach.

Professional Outcomes: RISD’s career outcomes are extraordinary: 95% of the Class of 2023 achieved success, with 74% securing positions directly aligned to their studies. The entrepreneurial spirit thrives—53% of alumni own or plan to start businesses. Graduates shape industries at major employers like Nike, Google, and Netflix, while the school’s creative impact is further evidenced by 114 Fulbright scholars and 11 MacArthur “Genius” Fellows. Early career financial success is strong, with 44% earning above $40,000—a notable achievement in creative fields, demonstrating RISD’s ability to launch sustainable artistic careers.

Academic Highlights: Impressively, particularly for a school with more graduate students than undergrads, CMU boasts a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and small class sizes, with roughly one-third containing single digits and 68% having an enrollment of nineteen or fewer. In a given school year, 800+ undergraduates conduct research through the University Research Office, and many others participated through various outside arrangements. Between 500-600 students study abroad for a semester each year in such countries as Japan, China, and Germany.

Professional Outcomes: By the end of the calendar year in which they received their diplomas, 74% of recent grads were employed, and 17% were continuing to graduate school. The companies that have routinely scooped up CMU grads include Google, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, TikTok, and NVIDIA. With an average starting salary of $124,107, CMU grads outpace the average starting salary for a college grad nationally.

Academic Highlights: There are more than 130 undergraduate majors at the nation’s largest Catholic research university. The student-to-faculty ratio is 17:1 and 38% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students. Special study abroad initiatives like FY@broad cater to first-year students, while Identities Abroad programs focus on diversity and inclusion, providing scholarships to support underrepresented students. The university rates well in the areas of overall value and facilitating social mobility.

Professional Outcomes: 90% of recent graduates found their next positive step in life within six months of being awarded their diploma. 78% were employed earning a modest median salary of $45,000. Sample employers included JPMorgan Chase, Deloitte, Discover, AbbVie, Amazon, and United Airways, as well as a number of nonprofit entities. Less than 10% of DePaul graduates directly enter graduate or professional school right after completing their undergraduate education.

Academic Highlights: Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) stands as America’s most comprehensive arts university, offering over 40 programs across 11 specialized schools—more degree options than any peer institution. While maintaining an accessible 20:1 student-to-faculty ratio, SCAD ensures quality through its accomplished faculty (76% holding terminal degrees) and intimate class sizes (56% under 20 students). This global creative community brings together students from all 50 states and 120+ countries, united under SCAD’s mission as “The University for Creative Careers.”

Professional Outcomes: SCAD’s career outcomes are nothing short of extraordinary: 98% of graduates secure employment or continue education within ten months, with 90% working in their field of study. Alumni lead creative innovation at industry giants like Disney Imagineering, Epic Games, and Microsoft, while entrepreneurial graduates build successful independent practices. The financial returns validate SCAD’s professional outcomes—early median earnings of $61,000 launch careers and grow to $103,400 at mid-career, proving that creative careers can yield both professional fulfillment and financial success.

Academic Highlights: Close to half of classrooms contain fewer than twenty Bruins, but those taking introductory courses will find themselves in a fair number of lecture halls with a hundred or more students. Professors are given impressively high marks for a research university of UCLA’s size. 93% of College of Letters and Science seniors rate their professors as being intellectually challenging. By the time they graduate, 45% of undergraduates have participated in a research experience. Every year, roughly one-quarter of the undergraduate population elects to study abroad, a sharp increase from only a few years ago. UCLA has 115 partner universities in 40+ countries around the globe.

Professional Outcomes: Thousands of alumni can be found working at Google, Amazon, and Apple. Companies that employ over 100 Bruins each include Meta, Microsoft, Netflix, TikTok, NVIDIA, and LinkedIn. Ultimately, one-third of UCLA grads go on to enroll in graduate/professional school, with many choosing to stay at their alma mater. Otherwise, the most attended grad schools are primarily other excellent California-based institutions including Stanford, USC, and Berkeley. For graduates early in their careers, the median salary is $78,600, with mid-career median earnings reaching over $149k. Many alumni remain in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area after graduating; other popular destinations include the San Francisco Bay area and New York City.

Academic Highlights: There are eleven undergraduate colleges and schools at RIT, and the co-op program is the fourth oldest in the country; most students complete a one- or two-semester paid learning experience. RIT’s 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio and a genuine commitment to undergraduate teaching lead to a respectable 46% of sections enrolling fewer than 20 students, and only 5% of courses contain more than 50 students. Additionally, RIT provides an array of undergraduate research opportunities including the the 10-week Research Experience for Undergraduates program, and the Undergraduate Research Symposium that sees 150+ students give presentations in a given academic year. 600+ opportunities exist to study, work, or research abroad, and RIT has four campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai, and Kosovo.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 93% of grads had found employment or a full-time graduate program. Major companies presently employing more than 500 RIT alums include Microsoft and Paychex. Between 200 and 500 employees of Amazon, Apple, Google, IBM, and Intel were educated at RIT. The average starting salary was $75,600, which is $12,ooo more than the national average. Class of 2023 grads pursued further education at universities including Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Stanford, and Yale.

Academic Highlights: There are over 100 undergraduate majors to choose from at Drexel.  The university offers a reasonable 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio with commensurately reasonable class sizes. Fifty-one percent of sections contain 19 or fewer students, and just 9% of sections contain 50 or more. Drexel students are encouraged to begin seeking undergraduate research opportunities “as early as the freshman year.” An array of research-oriented co-ops exist at local hospitals, museums, and pharmaceutical companies as well. With the emphasis on co-op education, it can be difficult to carve out time to study abroad while at Drexel. In a typical year, roughly 900 students manage to study internationally at one of 60 locations. Co-ops in foreign countries are another way to access the benefits of this type of experience.

Professional Outcomes: One year after graduating, 97% of Dragons have arrived at their next destination; 94% of full-time graduates were satisfied with their position and 87% were working in professions related to their field of study. The largest employers of Drexel alumni are Children’s Hospital of Philadephia, Penn Medicine, Comcast, Lockheed Martin, and Vanguard. The average salary for Drexel grads with a full-time job was $68,650.

Academic Highlights: LMU’s 55 majors and 58 minors are taught by faculty heralded for their warmth and accessibility, a sentiment backed by an 11:1 faculty-to-student ratio. Fifty-six percent of courses enroll 19 or fewer students, and 99% enroll fewer than 39 individuals. There are four programs through which students can access on-campus research opportunities, including the Summer Undergraduate Research Program. Each year, a healthy number of undergrads (usually 500+) elect to study abroad in more than 20 different countries including Ghana, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

Professional Outcomes: Just 2% of LMU graduates in 2023 were still looking for work six months after completing their degrees. Seventy-five percent had procured employment, 22% were in graduate school, and 1% were engaged in some type of service program. Companies employing graduates include the Los Angeles Lakers, Oracle, Microsoft, NASA, PWC, RCA, NBC Universal, and the Smithsonian. Recent alumni have gone on to further their education in a range of disciplines at Georgetown, GWU, NYU, Stanford, Northwestern, and Notre Dame.

Academic Highlights: All students must complete a minimum of twenty-nine credits in General Studies courses.  They must also meet requirements in three “awareness areas”: Cultural Diversity in the United States, Global Awareness, and Historical Awareness. There are plenty of opportunities for experiential learning as close to half of undergrads engage in research, land an internship, or have a practicum experience as part of their academic program.

Professional Outcomes: A healthy 89% percent of ASU graduates looking for work are employed within six months of earning their degrees. The median salary for an ASU grad is roughly $55,000. Among the school’s top fifty employers are Starbucks, the U.S. Air Force, Amazon, and the Intel Corporation. Most graduates settle in the Greater Phoenix area, with Tempe, Phoenix, and Los Angeles rounding out the list of the top three cities where recent alumni can be found.

Academic Highlights: The student-to-faculty is a 17:1, which translates into somewhat larger class sizes. Ten percent of sections contain more than fifty students, and 4% have more than 100. However, that is balanced by the 66% of sections that contain fewer than twenty students. Undergraduate research is taken advantage of by one-quarter of students, and the school plans to greatly expand such offerings in the coming years. An abundance of study abroad choices include special summer programs in Panama, Florence, London, and Valencia, Spain. FSU has 60 academic programs available in 20 locations throughout the world; 2,500+ students per year participate.

Professional Outcomes: Eighty-three percent of job-seeking Seminole grads receive at least one offer of employment within three months of graduation. Thirty percent of seniors found employment through Career Center services at FSU. Employers hiring the greatest number of FSU alumni include Apple, Northrop Grumman, EY, General Motors, and Deloitte. Roughly one-third of recent Florida State grads elected to immediately pursue admission into an advanced degree program; 84% of those who apply receive at least one acceptance. Geographically, the greatest number of alumni remain in Florida but large numbers also relocate to Massachusetts, Georgia, Texas, New York, and California.

Academic Highlights: Mason aims to make every one of its graduates an “engaged citizen and well-rounded scholar who is prepared to act.” Toward that goal, it requires a journey through the “Mason Core,” a forty-three-credit collection of foundation, exploration, and integration requirements. Thirty-two percent of sections enroll nineteen or fewer students, 14% have fifty or more students, and the remaining sections lie in between. More intimate educational experiences can be sought in the form of undergraduate research, which roughly half of all students ultimately engage in some form. There are plenty of summer research opportunities, but you can also take courses designated as Discovery of Scholarship, Scholarly Inquiry, or Research & Scholarship Intensive that offer built-in supervised research.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after receiving their degrees, 87% of the class of 2023 had accepted a job offer or started work in a graduate program. GMU grads flow into major consulting firms like Booz Allen Hamilton, Deloitte, and Accenture, as well as Capital One, Goldman Sachs, General Dynamics, IBM, and Microsoft. Mason graduates earn a median salary of $74,000, with 83% of grads employed in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC.

Academic Highlights: With sixteen schools and colleges and 140+ undergraduate degree programs, Texas A&M is a massive operation. Class sizes trend large, but 25% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students and personal connections with professors are entirely possible, particularly through the research-oriented LAUNCH program. A&M excels in facilitating study abroad experiences, sending over 5,600 students to 110+ countries in a typical year, the most of any public university in the United States.

Professional Outcomes: On graduation day, 79% of students had already received at least one job offer or were heading to graduate/professional school. Many Aggies go on to work at major oil, tech, and consulting firms; Amazon, ExxonMobil, Microsoft, Apple, Halliburton, and Google each employ more than 500 alumni. Starting salaries were strong—on average grads netted around $65k. The vast majority of graduates remain in Texas with Houston, Dallas, College Station, Austin, and San Antonio top in popularity.

Academic Highlights: With 16 colleges and 100 undergraduate majors to choose from, educational experiences are exceptionally diverse. UF impressively offers 50% of sections with an enrollment of fewer than 20 students. The Center for Undergraduate Research offers a University Research Scholars program as well as summer opportunities, hosts its own Undergraduate Research Symposium, and publishes its own UF Journal of Undergraduate Research. Forty percent of all undergrads have such an experience. The school has connections to 1,100 study abroad programs that are taken advantage of by more than 2,900 undergrads each year.

Professional Outcomes: The University of Florida demonstrates exceptional career preparation, with 83% of the Class of 2024 securing employment by graduation day. Gator alumni have established a strong presence at leading tech giants, with 200+ graduates currently working at Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Apple, Meta, and Oracle. The class achieved an impressive average starting salary of $68,000. For those continuing their education, popular graduate destinations include the University of South Florida, Nova Southeastern University, and Georgia Tech, showcasing UF’s strong pipeline to both immediate employment and advanced academic opportunities.

Academic Highlights: Despite a high number of graduate students also studying at SU, class sizes are kept reasonably low; 61% contain 20 students or fewer. The Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Engagement (The SOURCE) supports student participation in faculty-guided research via a number of short- and long-term opportunities, many of which are funded. As a result, 250 students engaged in research last summer alone. The university’s office of study abroad programs arranges for 46% of undergrads to spend a semester in a foreign land.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after exiting the Carrier Dome for the final time in 2023, 63% of Orangemen and women found employment (93% related to their career goals) and 26% continued to graduate school. The companies employing the most ‘Cuse grads include major companies like ESPN, Bloomberg, and Creative Artists Agency as well as big-name corporations like GE, KPMG, EY, Lockheed Martin, and Morgan Stanley. The average starting salary for 2023 grads was a solid $63k.

Academic Highlights: Chapman offers 50+ majors in STEM, humanities, communication, the arts, and business. Overall, 43% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students and the student-to-faculty ratio is 12:1. Students can engage in faculty-mentored projects, apply for funding via programs like the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), and present their work at the annual Student Scholar Symposium. The school regularly receives acclaim for its innovation and the quality of undergraduate teaching.

Professional Outcomes: The Walt Disney Company, Amazon, Deloitte, Microsoft, NBCUniversal, Netflix, and Circle Advertising are the most common employers of Chapman graduates. In 2023. 62% of that cohort had already secured employment by graduation day. Most graduates remain in the state of California, with Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Irvine attracting particularly high numbers of alumni.

Academic Highlights: NJIT offers students 51 undergraduate majors with a strong emphasis on hands-on learning, supported by a 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio and optimally sized classes—68% with fewer than 30 students and only 3% exceeding 50. The university’s research ecosystem is exceptionally robust, featuring 140+ specialized institutes, centers, and labs where undergraduates can engage in meaningful projects. Through initiatives like the Student Seed Program, students receive up to $500 for preliminary research and can secure additional funding up to $3,000 to advance their work. NJIT’s faculty are leaders in their fields, with 99% holding terminal degrees, ensuring cutting-edge mentorship.

Professional Outcomes: NJIT graduates achieve outstanding career outcomes, with 85% employed within six months of graduation and another 10% pursuing advanced degrees at elite institutions like MIT, Columbia, and Yale School of Medicine. The university’s strong industry connections place alumni at top employers such as Lockheed Martin, Johnson & Johnson, and Amazon, with graduates commanding an impressive average starting salary of $76,249. These results underscore NJIT’s success in preparing students for high-impact careers in fields where its rigorous, research-driven education delivers exceptional value.

Academic Highlights: Purdue offers over 200 majors at ten discipline-specific colleges, and 37% of course sections have an enrollment of 19 or fewer. Undergraduates conduct more than 2,000 research projects per year; they can connect with professors during the academic year or apply to participate in a Summer Research Fellowship. Discipline-specific research programs, a research pitch competition, research conferences & symposiums, and publishing opportunities abound. 1,300 students per year elect to study abroad at one of 400 programs in 50 countries.

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after receiving their diplomas, 65% of 2023 grads headed to the world of employment while 25% headed to graduate/professional school. Companies employing the greatest number of recent alumni were Eli Lilly & Company, Amazon, Deloitte, JP Morgan Chase, PepsiCo, and Cummins, Inc. The average starting salary was $71k across all degree programs. The majority of alumni remain in Indiana with Illinois, California, Texas, New York, and Wisconsin rounding out the five next most common destinations.

Academic Highlights: The New School delivers an exceptionally personalized education through its 45 undergraduate majors across five distinguished colleges, all supported by an outstanding 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio. This intimate learning environment fosters close mentorship and intellectual collaboration, amplified by 34 specialized research centers that connect academia with real-world challenges. The university’s academic excellence is further demonstrated by an impressive 30-year streak of Fulbright Awards, showcasing its commitment to producing globally engaged scholars and creative thinkers.

Professional Outcomes: New School graduates achieve remarkable career momentum, with 81% securing employment or entering graduate programs within their first post-graduation year. While many leverage their education into successful freelance careers, others launch at premier organizations, including the United Nations, NBC Universal, and JP Morgan Chase. The university’s emphasis on critical thinking and innovation yields strong financial returns – alumni earn median salaries of $70,400 early in their careers, nearly doubling to $134,500 at mid-career. These outcomes reflect The New School’s unique ability to prepare graduates for leadership across creative industries, global organizations, and the knowledge economy.

Academic Highlights: Required coursework for BYU undergraduates includes a number of courses in the Mormon faith as well as an extensive core curriculum that supports BYU’s larger mission “to provide an education that is (1) spiritually strengthening, (2) intellectually enlarging, and (3) character building, leading to (4) lifelong learning and service.”  A 21:1 student-to-faculty ratio translates to some undergraduate sections being a bit large. However, those lecture hall courses are balanced with classes of more modest size; 46% of courses have nineteen or fewer students. The school does an excellent job getting undergraduate students involved in hands-on research.

Professional Outcomes: By a wide margin, the two largest employers of BYU alums are the university itself and Intermountain Healthcare. However, there are hundreds of Cougars working at major corporations including Deloitte, Raytheon Technologies, Goldman Sachs, and Amazon. The median salary of a 2023 grad was $64,000. Brigham Young is in the same league with Berkeley, Cornell, the University of Michigan, and the University of Wisconsin in terms of producing future PhDs. Over the past decade, more than 3,000 alumni have gone on to earn doctoral degrees.

Academic Highlights: There are 152 degree plans across seven schools at UT Dallas which sports a 27:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Classes are on the large side – 29% of course sections contain 50 or more students. The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) and the Short-Term Working Group (SWG) provide hands-on research experiences and professional development. Students can also explore available research positions through the university’s Undergraduate Research Portal.

Professional Outcomes: The most commonly entered industries are internet/software, healthcare, accounting, IT, and higher education. Recent employers include Accenture, Amazon, American Airlines, Citi, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, and Raytheon Technologies. Graduates early in their career earn a median salary of $74,400, with median income increasing to $120,700 mid-career. Most Comets remain in Texas after graduation, settling in Dallas, Richardson, and Plano.