
When it comes to the country’s official “best of” lists, what makes an animation school program the best depends on a number of factors that may not have anything to do with enrollment figures or the cost of tuition. Most college ranking agencies use factors such as the number of program offerings, faculty resources (teacher-student ratio), graduation and retention rates, financial resources, student selectivity, and peer assessment to determine the best. Sure, tuition costs matter to just about every parent and student on the planet, and a large student body may sound appealing, but for the purposes of separating what agencies consider “good” schools from “great” schools, these factors don’t carry as much weight as others.
Film offices from Sedona to Tucson have made an aggressive push to attract more productions to the state. This includes animated productions, which are becoming more and more popular each day. Many of the state’s 80+ accredited colleges and universities have taken notice and joined the cause in an effort to help supply the industry with top talent. A number of these colleges now offer some of the best animation programs around. They can be found in major cities from Tempe to Tucson.
Take a look at our list below to review some of the best animation school programs in Arizona and what they have to offer.
Best Animation School Programs Arizona
Phoenix
Collins College – Degrees Offered: A. A., B. F. A. Graphic Design; B. S. Game Production
Tempe
University of Advancing Technology - A. A. and B. A. Digital Media, Digital Video, Game Art and Animation (traditional and online), Game Design (traditional and online), Serious Games and Simulation and Virtual Modeling and Design (traditional and online); M. S. Game Production and Management
Tucson
The Art Center College of Design – Degrees Offered: B. A. Animation, Graphic Design, Illustration
The University of Arizona – Degrees Offered: B. A. or B. F. A. Studio Art with Visual Communications Emphasis (Design or Illustration Track); M. F. A. Studio Art
Programs to Consider:
- San Francisco & Online
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#14) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#37) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Illustration (#24) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Graphic Design (#38) - 2021
- Winter Park, FL & Online
- Computer Animation - Bachelor's - Online & Campus
- Game Programs - Bachelor's & Master's - Online & Campus
- Graphic Design & Digital Arts - Bachelor's - Online & Campus
- Film & Digital Cinematography - Bachelor's & Master's - Online & Campus
- Mobile Development - Bachelor's - Online
- Simulation & Visualization - Bachelor's - Campus
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#11) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#10) - 2021
- Top 25 in the South for Graphic Design (#10) - 2021
- Online