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Character animator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a character animator. Character animators usually study animation, computer science, or fine arts. 72% of character animators hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 906 real character animator resumes to see exactly what character animator education sections show.
The most common colleges for character animators are the Savannah College of Art and Design and the Savannah College of Art and Design.
There are also many online character animator courses to help get the education required to be a character animator.
What education do you need to become a character animator?
What degree do you need to be a character animator?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Associate, 10%
- Master's, 8%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a character animator?
- Animation, 43%
- Computer Science, 12%
- Fine Arts, 8%
- Graphic Design, 8%
- Other Majors, 29%
Most common colleges for character animators
| Character animator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 15.13% |
| Full Sail University | 13.16% |
| Academy of Art University | 12.50% |
| School of Visual Arts | 11.18% |
| University of Central Florida | 8.55% |
Best majors for character animators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Animation | 42.5% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 12.1% |
| 3 | Fine Arts | 8.4% |
| 4 | Graphic Design | 8.2% |
| 5 | Photography | 6.3% |
Best colleges for character animators
The best colleges for character animators are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
A character animator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for character animators. 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 character animators.
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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for character animators
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9. Anime Character Creator: Make 3D Anime Characters in Blender
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10. Character Design For Animation in Illustrator
Design Memorable Character With a Strong Personality and Learn How to Prepare them for Animation...
11. Save Time in Character Animation for After Effects
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12. Rigging a Character in After Effects for Animation
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13. Ultimate Blender 3D Character Creation & Animation Course
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14. Storyboarding for Film & Animation Part 2
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15. Character Animation: Walk Cycles in Adobe After Effects CC
Master how to animate the most common Walk Cycles in Adobe After Effects...
16. Learn to Animate: Classical 2D Animation for Beginners
A Complete Guide to Animation Principles in Adobe Animate...
17. Create hand drawn character animations using Photoshop
Turn hand drawn sketches, characters, typography, and videos into looping animations...
18. Create Animated Series for YouTube in CrazyTalk Animator 3
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19. Maya for Beginners: Complete Guide to 3D Animation in Maya
Learn everything you need for 3D animation in Autodesk Maya: Modeling, Texturing, Lighting, Rigging, Animation, Dynamics...
20. Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters
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Top 10 most affordable universities for character animators
The most affordable schools for character animators are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, fashion institute of technology, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for character animators 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 character animators.
1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
2. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for character animators
The hardest universities for character animators to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for character animators 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 character animators 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for character animators
The easiest schools for character animators to get into are Cardinal Stritch University, grand view university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a character animator 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 character animators.
1. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
2. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
8. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
Average character animator salary by education level
| Character animator education level | Character animator salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $83,706 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $62,170 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $81,472 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $68,504 |
Character animator education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025