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Animation artist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an animation artist. Animation artists usually study animation, fine arts, or graphic design. 70% of animation artists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 590 real animation artist resumes to see exactly what animation artist education sections show.
The most common colleges for animation artists are the Savannah College of Art and Design and the Savannah College of Art and Design.
There are also many online animation artist courses to help get the education required to be an animation artist.
What education do you need to become an animation artist?
What degree do you need to be an animation artist?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 8%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an animation artist?
- Animation, 36%
- Fine Arts, 15%
- Graphic Design, 14%
- Computer Science, 10%
- Other Majors, 25%
Most common colleges for animation artists
| Animation artist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 12.28% |
| School of Visual Arts | 10.53% |
| The Art Institute of Philadelphia | 7.89% |
| Academy of Art University | 6.14% |
| Full Sail University | 6.14% |
Best majors for animation artists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Animation | 35.9% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 14.8% |
| 3 | Graphic Design | 14.2% |
| 4 | Computer Science | 9.9% |
| 5 | Photography | 6.7% |
Best colleges for animation artists
The best colleges for animation artists are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
An animation artist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for animation artists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become animation artists.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for animation artists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for animation artists
The most affordable schools for animation artists are Fashion Institute of Technology, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for animation artists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for animation artists.
1. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for animation artists
The hardest universities for animation artists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for animation artists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for animation artists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for animation artists
The easiest schools for animation artists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and cardinal stritch university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an animation artist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for animation artists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
4. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
10. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
Average animation artist salary by education level
| Animation artist education level | Animation artist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $94,189 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $69,560 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $91,628 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $76,788 |
Animation artist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025