Best Animation Colleges in India: Fees, Admission 2026, Courses, Salary

As per the popularity basis by shiksha.com, listed below are some of the top Animation colleges in India with their tuition fees -

Top Colleges	Tuition Fee
LPU	INR 3 lakh - INR 11.2 lakh
Amity University Noida	INR 2.88 lakh - INR 6.36 lakh
NID Ahmedabad	INR 13.1 lakh - INR 18.04 lakh
Loyola College	INR 1.23 lakh - INR 3.82 lakh
Parul University	INR 25,000 - INR 7 lakh

Source: Official site of the colleges and may vary.

India has about 1,400+ Animation colleges, including private, government, and semi-government colleges. The top colleges are LPU, Amity University Noida, Arena Animation, NID Ahmedabad, and many others.

Admission usually based on merit basis or through CUET, NID, NIFT entrance exam in the best Animation colleges in India.

No there should not be any hassle in case of admission after a gap year in private universities. Every year many students take gap year or some like to call it a drop year to take their time to reflect and decide on their eventual career path

Here are some popular Online VFX certification options you can consider:

Course Name	Course Provider	Course Fee
Advanced Program in Visual Effects (ADVFX Plus)	Maya Academy	INR 3.08 Lakh
Advanced Program in 3D Animation (AD3D EDGE Plus)	Frameboxx 2.0	INR 2.25 Lakh
ACS-CGI and VFZ for Films (VFX Film making)	Arena Animation	INR 3.27 Lakh
Certificate in Graphics, Animation, VFX, and Gaming	Boston Institute of Analytics	INR 75,000
Professional Development Program In 3D Animation and VFX	Zee Institute of Creative Art	INR 3.3 Lakh

Note: The information is taken from the official/counselling body of the institute/exam.

Yes, students can get direct admission in Artemisia College of Art and Design for some courses. Any student getting selected based on the portfolio is eligible for early admission and can skip the entrance test. For merit-based admissions, prefernce will be given to such students. But even through the direct admissions, students still have to meet the basic eligibility. 

It is estimated that joining Animation colleges in India can be affordable as most colleges have tuition fees of less than INR 1 lakh. Listed below are some of the colleges along with their fees:

Low-cost Colleges	Total Tuition Fee
Loyola College	Rs. 62,000 - INR 93,000
Arena Animation	INR 89,000
SGT University Gurgaon	INR 83,000
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj University	INR 80,000
Bangalore University	INR 51,000

AAFT Noida offered the highest placement package of INR 10 LPA. Here is the table below shows the top Animation colleges in India with average median package -

Top Colleges	Median Placement Package
Amity University, Gurugram Placements	INR 3.6 LPA
Sister Nivedita University Placements	INR 5.5 LPA - INR 7.5 LPA
AAFT Noida Placements	INR 10 LPA
SVSU - Swami Vivekanand Subharti University Placements	INR 3 LPA
School of Architecture and Design, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies Placements	INR 5 LPA

Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.

Yes, animators are in demand. You can refer below for the career options below: 

• Advertising
• Online and Print News Media
• Film & Television
• Cartoon production
• Theater
• Video Gaming
• E-learning

Scope of Animation: 

• Storyboarding Artists
• Character Animators
• Rigging Artists
• Texture Artists
• Layout Artists
• Compositor
• Roto Artists
• Match Moving Artists

Globally the animation industry is huge and as an animation artist, applicants have great scope both in India and abroad. Animation as a profession is a very high-paying job. The animation industry in India as well as abroad is expected to grow at a pace faster than the Information Technology industry. For more details, you may visit the Shiksha Animation page. (https://www.shiksha.com/animation-chp). I hope this will help you.

Students can pursue VFX courses through online mode of learning. Some of the popular courses are tabulated below:

Name of Online Courses	Course Provider	Duration
B.Sc. Animation and VFX	i-Nurture	36 months
VFX Plus	MAAC	432 hours
Arena Multimedia	Aptech	-
Motion Graphics	TCS ion	145 hours

Note: The information is taken from external sites and may vary.

Swaminarayan University is visited by top companies for placements such as Wipro, Godrej,  and others. Some of the Swaminarayan University campus facilities include digital classrooms, library and labs, hostel facilities, gym, and others. The university is approved by UGC, AICTE, Ministry of Education, Education Department Govt. of Gujarat, Bar Council of India, Pharmacy Council of India, Gujarat Nursing Council, Indian Nursing Council, and others. Hence, choosing this university can prove as a great decision. 

India has about 1285 Animation colleges which is distributed widely among its metropolitian cities and given below are some of the best cities to pursue Animation in India:

City Name	No. of Colleges	Popular Colleges
Delhi/NCR	220+	Arena Animation, Amity University, World UNiversity of Design, etc.
Mumbai	140+	Arena Animation, Amity University, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj University, etc.
Kolkata	100+	Arena Animation, Sister Nivedita University, Amity University, etc.
Bangalore	90+	Arena Animation, Arena Creative Campus, Jain University, etc.

Hope this helps!

Yes, A career in animation is one of the most highly-paying jobs in this digital world, especially for those who have good creative and drawing skills. The highest-paying companies for animation artists are The Walt Disney Company and Microsoft according to our most recent salary estimates.

In addition, companies like Blur Studio and Pixar Animation Studios report highly competitive wages for animation artists. The average salary for an Animator is INR 7 to 20 Lacs per annum in India. Animators make INR 63,55,835 per year on average, or INR 3,055 per hour, in the USA.

For more details, click here: Animation courses 

I hope this will help you.

No. Animation colleges in India do not require NEET or JEE scores. These entrance exams are only for medical and engineering colleges respectively. Animation admissions are either based on Class 12 marks, a college-specific entrance test, a design aptitude test, or a portfolio review. Some prestigious institutes like NID (National Institute of Design) conduct their own separate entrance exams like NID DAT, and NIFT conducts the NIFT Entrance Test for design-related programs.

Because of the convenience and flexibility, online VFX courses are becoming popular day by day. In an online programme, lectures are given via video conferencing, while notes, exams, and checking are done via an LMS.

One can enrol in an Online courses while residing in another city because there are no on-site classes. It also gives an opportunity to the students to learn and perform at their own pace and take their career to further growth.

Hope this helps!!!

Reliance Education, Pune is a good institution for Certificate courses, and these programs are delivered by highly experienced faculty. Major specialisation at Reliance Education, Pune are Maya, Editing.

There are a number of scholarships that are available for animation students. National Scholarship Portal (NSP), run by the central govt, provides scholarships for students from economically weaker sections and SC/ST/OBC category. The state governments also offer merit-cum-means scholarships to students who are doing professional and creative courses. NID and NIFT also offer their own scholarship and fee waiver programmes for eligible candidates.

Many colleges in India also offer VFX courses and certifications online. You can check out the list of the best online VFX courses in India in the table below -

VFX Course Online	Course Provider	Course Fees
Certificate in Graphics, Animation, VFX, and Gaming	Boston Institute of Analytics	INR 75,000
PG Diploma in Motion Graphic Design	AND Academy	INR 1 Lakh
Online BBA in Animation and VFX Management	Jain Deemed-to-be University	INR 1.65 Lakh
Program in Visual Effects (VFX Plus)	Maya Academy of Advanced Creativity	INR 1.92 Lakh
Bachelor of Arts in VFX and Animation	Arena Animation	INR 3.07 Lakh

Note - The information is taken from the official website of the institute.

Read more

Animation Courses & Certifications Online

Online 3D Animation Certifications

Of course, you can. The basic eligibility requirement to pursue a PG degree or Diploma course is to have a bachelor's degree only. Irrespective of the discipline you got your degree from, you are eligible to pursue a PG degree or Diploma course in VFX. Though you'll need to crack entrance exams for some PG degree courses.

Dev Bhoomi School of Architecture and Design offers both undergraduate and graduate courses in architecture and design. The key programs include

Bachelor of Architecture B.Arch A comprehensive five year course covering architectural design, construction and urban planning.

Bachelor of Design B.Des A four year programme with specializations in interior design, product design and graphic design.

Master of Architecture M.Arch A two year advanced course for postgraduate studies in architecture.

Diploma in Architecture A shorter programme providing foundational knowledge, in architecture and design.

The school focuses on practical learning through studio work, internships and partnerships with the industry to equip students for diverse careers in design and architecture.

The flagship course provided by Arena Animation, Geeta Bhawan Square is its certificate courses. The certificate courses include Animation Prime, Graphics Web Design and Developement, Graphic and Visual Design, and others. For some of the above mentioned courses, even tenth pass students are eligible.

AAFT is a private academy; however, it is approved by the UGC. The academy also has multiple associations with international universities such as New York University, USA, Oxford Business College, United Kingdom and Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. Established in 1990, the Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT), is a Media and Communication academy located in Delhi/ NCR. It is located in Film City Noida and is known for offering various undergraduate, postgraduate, Diploma and short-term courses in the fields of Cinema, Mass Communication, Animation, Fashion and Photography.

ZICA Bhubaneshwar offers a solitary degree course. The institute offers a BVoc programme in Animation Visual Effects, the programme is for three years. Candidates who want to secure admission into the programme should make sure they have cleared their Class 12 exam. The institute does not provide any other degree programme and only offers Diploma and certificate programmes.

With a 70% MAT, you can attempt to gain admission to Shoolini University. The MBA programme at Shoolini University admits students based on their performance on the GMAT, CAT, or MAT, or on their state admission exam. Faculty interaction comes next. The candidates' results on the pertinent admission exams are considered during the selection process. The 60–80 percentile CAT score is required for admission to MBA schools. Various circumstances may cause this qualifying cutoff to vary from year to year. The All India Management Association (AIMA) administers the Management Aptitude Test (MAT), a national entrance test, to candidates seeking admission to over 800 B-schools in India for PGDM and MBA programmes. The exam is administered in four phases, over several sessions, in February, May, and September.

The college offers mored than ten courses at the UG and PG level. The mode of study for various programme is full-time. The courses are offered in various specialisations. Some of the specialisations are mentioned in the points below:

• Accounting & Commerce
• Animation
• Design
• Engineering
• Hospitality & Travel
• IT & Software
• Animation
• Hospitality & Travel
• Science

Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute in Chennai is classified as a Tier 1 institution by Aston University. Thai Moogambigai Dental College and Hospital and Dr. M.G.R. Engineering College are combined to form the institute. It has a "A" grade from the NAAC for accreditation, and TUV SUD South Asia Private Limited has certified it with ISO 21001:2018. 
The institute was placed fourth in Chennai and fourth in Tamil Nadu in 2023, out of 312 institutions in India. 
 The institute's pleasant environment, helpful faculty, and excellent facilities. Some claim that the courses are pertinent and help students get ready for the workforce.

Sharda School of Media, Film and Entertainment offers three-year BA and four-year BA (Hons)/ Research course at the UG level. Candidates can apply for below BA specialisations after completing Class 12:

• Journalism & Mass Communication
• Film, Television & OTT Production

School of Design, MIT WPU Pune the highest package for 2025 is INR 20 LPA. The institute has decent placements and invites companies from different sectors to conduct the placement process at the Campus premises. 

Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences provides the flagship Bachelor of Science (BSc) program, which provides a solid Scientific foundation to students. The course is available in various specializations, and is geared towards the Agricultural fields. The SHUATS BSc programme is available in various relevant specializations like Nursing, Agriculture, Biotechnology, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Community Science, among others.

All the CUCET-based scholarships awarded to CU students are valid for the first year only. To renew them for the further years, students should apply for renewal every year. The eligibility criteria for scholarship renewal is mentioned below:

• Performance: 7.5 CGPA at the end of each year
• College students must not indulge in any indiscipline activity
• Students should not have E, F or I in any of the subject in any year

For other merit-based scholarships offered by CU on the basis of JEE Main/ CAT/ MAT/ ATMA/ Class 12 & graduation scores, renewal of scholarship will only be possible if students maintain a minimum CGPA of 7.5 in the semester exams. However, for PharmaD course, it is mandatory that the students don't have any semester/year break in between.

Moople Institute of Animation & Design is operating under Moople Academy Pvt. Ltd. which provides multimedia courses through its 15+ centres of excellence. The institute offers UG and certificate programme in the fields of 2D & 3D Animation, VFX, Graphics & Media Design, and many others. At UG level Moople offers three-year full-time BSc programmes in 3D Animation Film Making. Also, the institute offers certificate programmes of multiple duration ranging from six to eighteen months depending upon the length of the syllabus and curriculum. Students can visit the institute’s official website for more details for more details.

Arena Animation Aurobindo Institute offers various courses for the students interested in Animation, Game Development, UI-UX, Graphic Designing, VFX, Digital Marketing, Mass Communication and Web Design. These courses are offered at UG, short-term and Certification levels. Some of the courses with their specialisations include Animation Prime, Graphic and Web Design, Game Development, UI-UX Professional, BSc in Multimedia and Animation and BA Multimedia and Mass Communication. 

Amity University Jaipur is famous for its eco-friendly 152-acre campus and NAAC 'A+' accredited academic framework. It is highly sought after for its flagship programs in Engineering, Design, and Management.

As per the 2025 Amity Rajasthan annual report, the highest and average package offered to the UG students was INR 22.21 LPA and INR 4.76 LPA, respectively.

Sister Nivedita University is a good choice for students interested in either the Engineering or Management streams with the university being ranked 113 and 105 in the Engineering and Management categories, respectively by Outlook Ranking 2025.

The university is also known for its other UG, PG, Diploma and certificate courses  with Sister Nivedita University Kolkata being a good choice overall for many students depending on their interests.

MAAC, South Extension offers over 12 certificate and 10 UG Diploma courses. The institute offers courses in various specialisations such as 2D / 3D Animation, Animation Film Making, Graphic / Web Design, etc. Admission to MAAC, South Delhi courses is merit. Candidates can apply online via the institute's website or visit the campus for further details.