Post job

Animation internship education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an animation internship. Animation interns usually study biology, animation, or zoology. 78% of animation interns hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,700 real animation internship resumes to see exactly what animation internship education sections show.

The most common colleges for animation interns are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.

There are also many online animation internship courses to help get the education required to be an animation internship.

There are certain animation internship certifications that you should consider. These animation internship certifications include Laboratory Animal Technician (LAT) and Open Water Scuba Instructor.

What education do you need to become an animation internship?

What degree do you need to be an animation internship?

The most common degree for animation interns is bachelor's degree, with 78% of animation interns earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 10% and associate degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 78%
  • Associate, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Master's, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become an animation internship?

You should major in biology to become an animation internship. 21% of animation interns major in biology. Other common majors for an animation internship include animation and zoology.

Most common colleges for animation interns

Animation interns often get their degrees at Full Sail University, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Ohio State University. Here are the most common colleges for animation interns in the US based on their resumes.
Animation internship common collegePercentages
Full Sail University9.06%
Savannah College of Art and Design8.36%
Ohio State University7.32%
Michigan State University6.97%
University of California - Davis6.27%

Best majors for animation interns

RankMajorPercentages
1Biology20.8%
2Animation12.5%
3Zoology10.7%
4Animal Science8.9%
5Environmental Science6.0%

Best colleges for animation interns

The best colleges for animation interns are Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University, and Stanford University.

An animation internship 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 interns. 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 interns.

1. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

5. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

6. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

7. University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$15,887

Enrollment

23,202

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

10. Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$9,080

Enrollment

30,795

20 best online courses for animation interns

Advertising disclosure

1. Maya for Beginners: Complete Guide to 3D Animation in Maya

udemy
4.5
(7,167)

Learn everything you need for 3D animation in Autodesk Maya: Modeling, Texturing, Lighting, Rigging, Animation, Dynamics...

2. Animating in Adobe Character Animator (2018 Edition)

udemy
4.6
(377)

Learn how to animate characters using your video camera and microphone! No prior animation experience required!...

3. Maya for Beginners: Complete 3D Animation Fundamentals

udemy
4.4
(505)

Complete training with practical exercises and comprehensive expert advice to mastering animation fundamentals...

4. Learn Adobe Character Animator CC

udemy
4.1
(323)

Motion Capture Animation Basics...

5. Fast animation and rigging techniques using Maya 2017

udemy
5
(377)

Learn to rig a biped character and animate a walk cycle for film, TV and video games for beginner Maya users...

6. Adobe Flash/Animate

udemy
4.2
(339)

Learn How to Use the Animation and Interactive Media Industry Standard Software...

7. Learn to Animate: Classical 2D Animation for Beginners

udemy
4.5
(1,233)

A Complete Guide to Animation Principles in Adobe Animate...

8. 3D Modeling & Animation with Maya

udemy
4.6
(447)

Have fun creating anything you want in Maya. Create your own 3d worlds! Learn creature & character design/animation!...

9. Complete Adobe Animate Megacourse: Beginner to Expert

udemy
4.3
(445)

Learn how to use Adobe Animate like a pro with this step-by-step course!...

10. Learn 2D Game Special Effect Animation in Photoshop

udemy
4.5
(448)

The best Game special effects animation course on the market...

11. 2D Character Animation: Walk Cycles

udemy
4.8
(349)

Design Characters for animation in Adobe Animate : animate a character step by step : animate a full scene...

12. Adobe After Effects: Flat Animation Buildup

udemy
4.5
(254)

Jump right into animating motion graphics in Adobe After Effects with this quick-start guide to creating 2D animations...

13. The Ultimate 2D Game Character Design & Animation Course

udemy
4.5
(1,825)

Learn how to design and animate a character in Photoshop that can stand up as professional work...

14. Character Animation: Walk Cycles in Adobe After Effects CC

udemy
4.5
(361)

Master how to animate the most common Walk Cycles in Adobe After Effects...

15. After Effects CC: Motion Graphics & Animation Principles

udemy
4.9
(1,429)

In After Effects CC Learn to create motion graphics animations and apply the animation principles for cartoon like anime...

16. Designing Cartoon Characters in Adobe Animate

udemy
4.5
(356)

Learn how to design cartoon characters using Animate's diverse vector tools...

17. Create hand drawn character animations using Photoshop

udemy
4.5
(503)

Turn hand drawn sketches, characters, typography, and videos into looping animations...

18. Blender 3.x Complete Architectural Design & Animation Course

udemy
4.5
(963)

Learn Blender Animation, 3D Modelling, 3D lighting: Full 3D House Construction Animation Project in Blender 3x...

19. Gradient Animations in After Effects

udemy
4.2
(263)

Start learning Adobe After Effects by creating Gradient Animations in this quick and easy course...

20. After Effects CC Expressions: Design & Animate Infographics

udemy
4.7
(542)

Create Infographics Design, Data Visualization, Animated Infographics & Data Visualization Templates in After Effects CC...

Top 10 most affordable universities for animation interns

The most affordable schools for animation interns are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for animation interns 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 interns.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

7. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for animation interns

The hardest universities for animation interns to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for animation interns 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 interns 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

2. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

9. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for animation interns

The easiest schools for animation interns to get into are Barry University, adventhealth university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an animation internship 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 interns.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

6. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

7. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

8. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

9. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

10. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

Average animation internship salary by education level

According to our data, animation interns with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $34,146 annually. Animation interns with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $32,593.
Animation internship education levelAnimation internship salary
High School Diploma or Less$30,948
Bachelor's Degree$34,146
Some College/ Associate Degree$32,593

Animation internship education FAQs

Search for animation internship jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse personal care and attendants jobs