Post job

Animation producer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an animation producer. Animation producers usually study photography, animation, or fine arts. 85% of animation producers hold a bachelor's degree, and 7% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 108 real animation producer resumes to see exactly what animation producer education sections show.

The most common colleges for animation producers are the Emerson College and the Emerson College.

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

What education do you need to become an animation producer?

What degree do you need to be an animation producer?

The most common degree for animation producers is bachelor's degree, with 85% of animation producers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 7% and associate degree degree at 1%.
  • Bachelor's, 85%
  • Associate, 7%
  • Master's, 1%
  • Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become an animation producer?

You should major in photography to become an animation producer. 18% of animation producers major in photography. Other common majors for an animation producer include animation and fine arts.

Most common colleges for animation producers

Animation producers often get their degrees at Emerson College, SUNY Buffalo State, and Cornerstone University. Here are the most common colleges for animation producers in the US based on their resumes.
Animation producer common collegePercentages
Emerson College8.33%
SUNY Buffalo State8.33%
Cornerstone University8.33%
University of Arizona8.33%
The Art Institute of Houston4.17%

Best majors for animation producers

RankMajorPercentages
1Photography17.5%
2Animation14.0%
3Fine Arts12.3%
4Graphic Design8.8%
5Communication5.3%

Best colleges for animation producers

The best colleges for animation producers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Yale University.

An animation producer 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 producers. 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 producers.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$58,230

Enrollment

6,600

9. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

10. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

20 best online courses for animation producers

Advertising disclosure

1. 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!...

2. 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...

3. Learn Adobe Character Animator CC

udemy
4.1
(323)

Motion Capture Animation Basics...

4. Save Time in Character Animation for After Effects

udemy
4.8
(341)

Animation can be a fast process if you know the secret: Do Animation with rigged characters, with a few clicks and drags...

5. 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...

6. 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...

7. Rigging a Character in After Effects for Animation

udemy
4.2
(271)

Take your Illustrator File and connect each body part to easily control your character for animation...

8. Designing Cartoon Characters in Adobe Animate

udemy
4.5
(356)

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

9. Learn 2D Game Special Effect Animation in Photoshop

udemy
4.5
(448)

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

10. Character Design For Animation in Illustrator

udemy
4.9
(647)

Design Memorable Character With a Strong Personality and Learn How to Prepare them for Animation...

11. Storyboarding for Film & Animation Part 2

udemy
4.9
(425)

Become a Storyboard Artist, learn professional skills for story boarding for Film, Animation & Gaming...

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

udemy
4.5
(1,233)

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

13. Direct and Produce Animation

udemy
4.5
(452)

People want to join your project. Learn how to guide them into following your vision for your next Animation...

14. Gradient Animations in After Effects

udemy
4.2
(263)

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

15. Spine PRO: A Complete 2D Character Animation Guide

udemy
4.7
(1,098)

Learn to create professional 2D character animations for Games!...

16. Produce Engaging Whiteboard Animations in VideoScribe

udemy
4.4
(314)

Learn how to use Video Scribe to produce Eye Catching Whiteboard Animations that highlight your brand or product...

17. Ultimate Blender 3D Character Creation & Animation Course

udemy
4.7
(2,240)

Learn 3D character creation & animation in Blender 2.8 with this A-Z course great for beginners and all levels of skill...

18. 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...

19. 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...

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 producers

The most affordable schools for animation producers are California State University - Long Beach, queens college of the city university of new york, and fashion institute of technology.

If the best universities for animation producers 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 producers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

3. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for animation producers

The hardest universities for animation producers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Yale University.

Some great schools for animation producers 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 producers 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

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

The easiest schools for animation producers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and kean university.

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

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

7. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

8. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

9. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

10. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

Average animation producer salary by education level

According to our data, animation producers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $53,388 annually. Animation producers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $49,180.
Animation producer education levelAnimation producer salary
Master's Degree$53,388
Bachelor's Degree$49,180

Animation producer education FAQs

Search for animation producer 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 arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs