30 Best Animation Schools in the World | Stoodnt (2023)

Animation is one of those mediums that can be used for absolutely anything making this field of study one of the most in-demand areas to prosper. It is the communication of emotion and learning how to communicate emotion requires a deep understanding of the tools. Developing a proper foundation in the basic principles of animation is the key to becoming a professional animator. This article is going to cover the top animation Schools in the world. We are also going to add bonus schools that may not be the best but are very good for studying Animation so stick around till the end.

Top 10 Animation Schools in the World

ESMA

ESMA 3D Animation School is a school of applied arts with more than 25 years of experience giving birth to and building thousands of graphic designers, photographers, space designers, and CG artists. Its campuses are located in Montpellier, Toulouse, Lyon, and Montreal, and hopefully will increase the locations with the passage of time.

This school of applied arts offers courses that are adapted to the professional environment. Their objective is to prepare students for different artistic professions so that the students can fully accomplish their creative designs. They are renowned for the quality and richness of its artistic teaching school offering two courses related to professions:

• CG Animation Cinema
• Master Degrees in FX and VFX

PIXL VISN

This school of media was founded in 2010 by industry professionals Andre Sturdy and Rob Innes. They offer an accelerated 15-month 3D animation and Visual Effects training program in a modern facility equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and machine located in the heart of Koln, Germany.

The instructors at PIXL VISN are a part of the industry. They are professionals working in top-notch positions at major studios around the world helping, assisting, and managing to create major Hollywood Feature Films, Hit Television Series, and Blockbuster Video games.

These industry professionals are given regular feedback and guidance on educational methods and the staff stays updated on new software features and workflows with self-guided learning resources. Graduates from this school have worked in productions such as Avengers End-Game, Game of Thrones, and Disney.

School of Visual Arts – New York

The School of Visual Arts has been a leader in the education and upbringing of leading artists, designers, and creative professionals for around eight decades. With a faculty of distinguished working professionals, a dynamic future-proof curriculum, and an emphasis on critical thinking; SVA is a catalyst for innovation and social responsibility.

The School of Visual Arts comprises more than six thousand students at its Manhattan campus and nearly thirty-seven thousand alumni working in 75 countries globally. SVA also represents one of the most influential artistic communities in the world.

If you are interested in making, working, and understanding the great animated films by PIXAR, Disney, DreamWorks, Sony Pictures for animation, photo real visual effects, and Method Studios, this is a great choice for your kick-starting your career in Animation and Designing.

3DSense Media School

The 3DSense Media School is based in Singapore. It is one of the leading digital arts schools in the whole of Asia, preparing and developing students for careers in Films, Games, and Animation for over 20 years.

This media school unlike other mainstream animation institutes started as just a community web forum founded in 2003. By the end of 2005, the school had already enrolled over one thousand students in its programs, who graduated soon after. Today they are making their way into the commercial and entertainment world by developing stunning visual effects to impressive motion graphics.

They have three diplomas focussing on providing industry-based training for visual effects, animation, game art, motion design, concept design and illustration, and even toy production. The school mainly focuses on philosophy and passion, training students to achieve significant results in twelve-month intensive training.

GNOMON

For over 20 years, GNOMON has educated many of the world’s best digital artists. It was also termed the ‘MIT of Visual Effects’ by Fast Company Magazine. The school offers a variety of educational options to help students reach their goals in the entertainment industry with degrees, vocational certificate programs, specialized courses for high-school students, and over a hundred individual courses for working professionals.

Artists launched GNOMON with the support of the entertainment industry to help meet the demand for well-trained creative talent in the growing field of digital entertainment. Their graduates include professionals working on the latest blockbuster films in games along with managerial positions at film and major video game studios around the world.

ANIMUM Creativity Advanced School

ANIMUM is a completely online school of art and animation with its headquarters situated in Spain. The School is categorized within several teams such as the Academic Management Team, Artistic Team, Student Relations Team, I.T Administration, and Commercial Marketing Team that works in coordination to make sure there is no lack in the quality of education even though it is a purely online-based education program.

They are well aware that the outcome of proper training is much more important than merely acquiring qualifications and certificates to prove your grasp of the subject. This school aims to offer students a guarantee that by the time they complete their education here, they will have a portfolio to meet the requirements for today’s industry enabling them to have real-world employment opportunities.

They follow a highly practical based approach in their training programs, which emulates a real-world environment. They do not only teach the technical side of things but they also strive to ensure that creativity flows through the work they deliver and endeavor to allow the students to get the very best out of them.

LOST BOYS – School of Visual Effects

The Lost Boys School of Visual Effects has its roots as an internationally acclaimed and renowned boutique visual effects studio. It offers specialized programs and VFX Compositing Effects and CG Lighting for feature films, VFX, and animation productions which are delivered by highly esteemed instructors within a studio environment.

Its reputation and quality of education have engraved its name in history as a leader in Visual Effects Production. Their active industry participation and their track record of producing the top fresh talent in world-class studios add to their expertise in guiding their students to brilliantly build their portfolios and demo reels that are bound to get noticed.

As a graduate of this school, you’ll get international recognition which helps open doors; build network connections that most schools cannot promise. This achievement has given them an unprecedented ninety-nine percent of graduates who have found jobs in their field of study on the latest blockbuster films and television series.

Think Tank Training Centre

The Think Tank Training Centre was founded in 2005 and is located in Vancouver, Canada. This training center specializes in the latest software, techniques, and technologies used in the 3D Industry by professional 3D Artists working in the film, television, and video game industries.

The Think Tank Training Campus is an inspirational place of learning, delivering a one-of-a-kind personalized mentorship program that gives its students an edge as they transition into fully-fledged working professionals.

Their instructors and mentors work in the local entertainment industry and bring their proven tools and techniques to the classroom which implants relevancy in their students which in turn reinforces their chances of getting employment as soon as they finish their education.

ARTFX

ARTFX is an international private school of visual effects, cinema and new film technologies, 2D & 3D Animation, Video Games, Programming, and Finance. The school was built in 2004 and is run by professionals from the film and video game industries.

It focuses on a solid understanding of traditional artistic disciplines as the foundation for a Mastery of digital technologies. They have a total of three campuses in France that offer Bachelor’s degrees and Master’s degrees along with a one-year vocational and practical course.

You are bound to find ARTFX alumni in most of the major films or video game productions released in recent years with film titles such as Gravity, Minions, Star Wars, Ready Player One, The Line (2019), and many more blockbuster films and series.

Graduates from ARTFX have been reported to have a ninety-five percent employment rate within six months of finishing their education. ARTFX boats about having more than six hundred alumni working in major productions around the world.

Ringling College

In the Ringling College Computer Animation Program, students get to learn everything from A to Z in Animation, Design, 3D Art, Motion Design, Sound Design, and Lighting Effects.

In their world-renowned animation program, you will get to learn about conceptualizing and creating characters, telling their stories, as well as design, paint, model, texture, animate, light, and composite and edit original films.

As a computer animation student, Ringling College will help you incorporate essential technical skills along with implementing inspirational and original ideas directly from your mind to your screen. They will teach you to make and deliver products that affect and connect with an audience- emotionally, visually, and intellectually.

This mix of talents and skills well-blended within the program is the reason why Ringling College is one of the top-rated globally acclaimed computer animation schools. A wide range of animation productions and studios look forward to them for the best and brightest raw talent.

Furthermore, graduates from Ringling College go on to win Film Festivals & Student Academy Awards to become the top animated filmmakers of the future.

Other Top Animation Schools in the World

Conclusion

Graduates from all of the aforementioned schools, colleges, and universities know that nothing feels better than working in a dynamic industry this creative. It’s like getting to play in the National Team at the Olympics as an under-18 (rookie) player spiraling out of their youth.

That feeling of accomplishment after putting in so much hard work and perfecting your skills knowing that you are now part of such an exciting and cutting-edge industry of the future is the reason why this industry remains one of the most lucrative careers for most students.

It might feel like a distant dream for you as you read the last few lines of this blog, but if you’re ready to take the next step; It’s time to step up and take a leap of faith to become one of the next-gen creative artists that have the same driving force and passion for making games, films, animations and bringing their ideas and designs to life.

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