Top 5 Animation Institutes in USA
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If gaming and animation is your forte and you want to take it up as a full-time course in USA to hone your skills, then this article is for you. Here, we will talk about the top universities in USA for a professional animation course, perks of studying in these universities, courses offered, and more.
USA - the country that gave birth to Disney, Dreamworks is aptly called the home of animation. Blessed with top-notch animation institutes and a plenty of job opportunities, it is a top destination for numerous animation aspirants. So if you’re dreaming of heading to the Country of Dreams to realize your dream of making it big in the colorful world of Animation, then we bring to you the Top 5 Animation Institutes in USA, which boast of award-winning alumni. Check out all the details below.
- Top-ranked Animation Universities in USA
- List of Top 5 Animation Colleges in USA
- Top 5 Animation Institutes in USA - FAQs
Top-ranked Animation Universities in USA
As mentioned above, USA is home to most of the top global universities for Animation courses. For the benefit of our readers, we have listed below a comprehensive collection of the top-ranked animation colleges in USA, according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024 - Art & Design:
| US Universities |
QS World University Rankings by Subject - Arts & Design 2024 |
|---|---|
| California Institute of Arts | #51-100 |
| School Of Visual Arts | #20 |
| Maryland Institute College and Art | #36 |
| Rhode Island School of Design | #4 |
| Digital Animation and Visual Effects School | - |
List of Top 5 Animation Colleges in USA
In the following section we will discuss these five colleges for animation courses in USA:
California Institute of Arts
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Courses Offered | Bachelor of Fine Arts in Character Animation; Bachelor of Fine Arts in Experimental Animation; Master of Fine Arts in Experimental Animation |
| Test Required | TOEFL |
The School Of Visual Arts
With highly experienced faculty, consisting of Yvett Kaplan (of Ice Age fame), School of Visual Arts is a dream destination for animation aspirants. Termed the top school of animation in America, SVA graduates have found jobs at Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, Blue Sky Studio and Nickelodeon.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Courses Offered | Undergraduate Program Majors in Advertising; Animation; Cartooning; Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects; Film and Video; Fine Arts; Graphic Design; Illustration; Interior Design; Photography; Visual and Critical Studies |
| Test Required | TOEFL iBT: 79 |
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The Maryland Institute College and Art (MICA)
It was named the best college in North Eastern America by the Princeton Review and is listed by ID Magazine as one of the best design schools in the U.S. Well! MICA’s alumni’s achievements add authenticity to the above-mentioned statements, with placements at DreamWorks, Blue Sky Studio, Yahoo!, Laika, MTV and others, and freelance successfully.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Courses Offered | Introduction to 2D Animation; Intro to 3D Computer Animation; Stop-Motion Animation; Intro to Animation Systems; Digital Tools for Animation; Research in 3-D Scanning; Sophomore Animation Seminar; Advanced 2D Animation; 3D Computer Animation II; 3D Modeling Landscape; Advanced 3D Open Studio; Character Modeling (3 credits); Systems and Programming; 3D Video Game Character Devel; Animation workshop I |
| Test Required | TOEFL |
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Visa applicationThe Rhode Island School of Design
RISD is the leader when it comes to Graphic Designing, with top animation teachers in the country and over 200 prominent visiting artists annually.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Courses Offered | Bachelor of Fine Arts; Bachelor of Graphic Design degree |
| Test Required | TOEFL |
Digital Animation and Visual Effects School
The Digital Animation and Visual Effects School (DAVE), in Orlando, Florida, which teaches a string of Interesting animation programs, is known for a commendable job placement rate.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Courses Offered | Digital Modeling and Texturing; Fundamentals of Computer Animation; Film Magic—The Art of Visual Effects; Stereoscopic 3D Production |
| Test Required | TOEFL |
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Top 5 Animation Institutes in USA - FAQs
Q. Is USA good for studying animation?
A. Yes, USA is one of top countries for students planning to pursue higher education in the field of animation. What makes it one of the best study abroad destination are the top universities with impressive rankings, quality of education, student diversity, growth opportunities, state-of-the-art facilities, high return on investment, etc.
Q. Which institute in USA is best for animation?
A. Some of the best institutes for pursuing animation in USA are California Institute of the Arts; School Of Visual Arts; Savannah College of Art and Design; University of Southern California; Rhode Island School of Design; Pratt Institute; Academy of Art University; and many more.
Q. Is animation a good career in USA?
A. Yes, animation is a good career in USA as the graduates excel in their career. On a usual basis, the graduates of Animation courses in USA earn USD 42,000 (INR 35L) per annum. Note that this salary is expected to grow every year, based on your skill set and performance. Some of the job roles that you can take up are listed below:
- Animator
- Games Developer
- Graphic/Web Designer
- VFX artist
Q. Which is the best country to study animation?
A. Some of the countries which offer the best quality education in Animation at affordable prices are India, United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. All these nations offer academic excellence, impressive return on investment, growth and networking opportunities, various specializations, scholarships, and more, which make them a desirable location to pursue higher education in.
Q. What are the top 5 animation companies?
A. The top 5 animation companies in the world are:
- Disney Animation Studios
- Pixar Studios
- DreamWorks Animation Studios
- Sony Pictures Animation
- Warner Bros. Animation
MIT is not costly for Indian students. Applicants can study BTech program at affordable tuition fees as compared to other BTech colleges in the USA. The MIT BTech fees is around INR 50 L to INR 52 L.
The University of South Dakota expects a GPA score of 2.5 from undergraduates and 3 from postgraduates on the 4-pointer scale. Along with the GPA scores, undergraduates must meet the basic eligibility and submit an ACT score of 21 or higher and an SAT score of 1070 or higher. In addition, they must submit the required documents, such as academic history, transcripts, letters of recommendation, English language scores, and more.
GRE is a popular standardised test for getting admission in MS program in the world. However, there are many universities in the USA that offer admission to MS courses without GRE scores. There is fixed minimum or maximum GRE score for admission. However, even if your GRE score is below the average for a particular program, you may still be considered for admission if you have strong qualifications in other areas. It is adviseble to check university website for the exact information.
Purdue University application must have the following components:
Undergraduate Admissions
- The application itself
- Purdue-specific questions from the application
- Self-reported high-school grades
- Self-reported SAT or ACT scores (if applicable)
- Application fee
Steps to apply for Purdue University Undergraduate Courses
- First of all, complete and submit a Common application as per the Purdue University application deadlines
- Make sure that Purdue University receives all material required to complete the application
Graduate Admissions Steps
- Firstly, check Purdue University entry requirements
- Then, create an application account to start the application
- Choose the campus and course as per the preference
- Then, submit the results of the tests needed for the graduate program
- Prepare the additional documents based on the graduate program
- Lastly, pay the non-refundable application fee to submit the application. Purdue University graduate application fee is USD 75 for international applicants
According to various sources, University of Minnesota Morris has an acceptance rate of around 78% making it moderately selective for admissions. Some of the general admission requirements for international students are given as follows:
- Overall Student's GPA
- Letters of Recommendation
- High School Class Ranks
- Additional Academic Record
Students are required to apply for admission according to the deadlines given on the official university website.
The definition of a good ACT score varies from university to country. However, to get into the top 100 universities, you must aim for a score higher than 31 on the ACT.
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6 years ago
6 years ago
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There is no minimum GPA score for UG admission at Ohio State. However, International students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale or equivalent) for graduate admission. Applicants may submit a standardized test score (GRE or GMAT) if their cumulative GPA is below 3.0 for the last degree.