Nebraska is home to dozens of museums, a large collection of odd art galleries, and a number of interesting attractions. Where else can you find the world’s largest indoor rainforest exhibit or the largest grass covered sand dunes in the Western Hemisphere? It is the state’s attractions and eclectic culture that attract Hollywood film productions that call for stunning scenery and quirky crewmembers. The Nebraska Film Office and the Omaha Film Office also do their part to attract Hollywood by offering incentives and a variety of resources for filmmakers. This means aspiring animators working in the film industry should have no problems finding work here.
In addition to the film industry, Nebraska’s technology sector, which consists of more than 500 technology firms, is always on the lookout for animators with a computer science background. Nebraska’s 43 colleges and more than 1,158 elementary and secondary schools also recruit art and animation instructors with a variety of specializations on a regular basis.
Nebraska Animation Schools
Nebraska is home to a number of colleges that offer degrees from game design to visual communication and design. Scroll through the list below to review Nebraska’s best options for aspiring animators and other artists, and what they have to offer.
Chadron
Chadron State College – Degrees Offered: B. A. Art with Graphic Design Option
Kearney
University of Nebraska Kearney – Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Visual Communication and Design
Lincoln
University of Nebraska Lincoln - Degrees Offered: B. A., B. F. A. Studio Art with Graphic Design or New Genres Emphasis; B. F. A. Theatre - Film and New Media Production; M. F. A. Studio Art with New Genres Emphasis
Union College - Degrees Offered: B. S. Graphic Design, Computing with Graphic Design/Web Design Emphasis
Omaha
University of Nebraska at Omaha - Degrees Offered: B. A., B. F. A. Studio Arts with Emphasis in Graphic Design, Independent Game Design, Intermedia, Visual Technology
Peru
Peru State College - Degrees Offered: B. A., B. S. Fine Arts with Graphic Design Option
Seward
Concordia University - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Graphic Design
Wayne
Wayne State College – Degrees Offered: B. A., B. S. Graphic Design
More Animation related 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
Employment and Salary Trends for Nebraska Animators
Good news for Nebraska animators. The number of salaried animators living in the state hasn’t changed much in nearly a decade and salaries are on the rise. The state’s 60-70 salaried animators average $40,060 per year, up from $32,960 in 2002. It is important to keep in mind that many Nebraska animators are self-employed and the Bureau does not include employment and salary figures for this large community of artists. In addition, average salaries overall vary greatly by industry, location, type of company, experience & education, and other factors.
The mean annual wage for animators and multi-media artists nationwide was $62,810 in 2009. The lowest paid animators earned $32,360 and the highest paid animators earned $99,130.