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Texas is home to 252 Title IV degree-granting schools. This is the fourth largest number of Title IV schools in the U.S. Many of the state’s Title IV schools are among the best in the nation and because they have Title IV status, these institutions are eligible for federal financial aid programs. This means, even the most expensive schools are accessible to students with financial need.
Before earning Title IV status, each school must meet five requirements established by the U.S. Department of Education. They must (1) have accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, (2) grant an associate's degree or higher, (3) offer a program of at least 300 clock hours in length, (4) be in business for at least two years, and (5) sign a participation agreement with the Department.
A number of Title IV schools in Texas offer excellent art and design programs—including animation. Just a few include University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio and the University of Texas at Dallas. Continue reading to find out which Texas schools offer animation programs and how much you can expect to pay.
Most Expensive to Least Expensive Texas Animation Schools
University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio - Tuition Information: Undergraduate $12,950 per semester; Graduate $850 per credit hour for the 2015-2016 school year.
Texas A&M University, College Station - Tuition Information: Undergraduate residents $9,180, nonresidents $26,356; Graduate residents $6,406, nonresidents $12,778 for the 2014-2015 school year.
Sam Houston State University, Huntsville - Tuition Information: Undergraduate residents $8,494 (12 credit hours per semester), nonresidents $17,182 (12 credit hours per semester); Graduate residents $8,090, nonresidents $16,778 for the 2015 – 2016 school year.
University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas -Tuition Information: Undergraduate residents $5,342 per semester, nonresidents $13,477 per semester; Graduate residents $7,029 per semester, nonresidents $13,852 per semester for the 2014-2015 school year. Tuition is for 12 semester hours.
Texas Animation Schools – Other Options
Texas is home to a number of community colleges that offer animation programs at an even lower cost. Just a few of the best include:
- Houston Community College, Houston - $92.40 per credit hour in-district, $164.40 out-of-district, and $306.960 out-of-state as of 2013 (most recent published figures).
- Collin College, McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Allen, Rockwall - $41.00 per credit hour in county, $80 out-of-county, $209 out-of-state for the 2014-2015 school year.
- Richland College, Dallas - $59 per credit hour in-county, $111 out-of-county, $174 out-of-state for the 2014-2015 school year.
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
Texas Animation Scene
Texas is home to 110,390 professionals working in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations. Of this group, 1,580 are salaried animators and multimedia artists earning an average salary of $56,990 per year. They work in the film and video industry as well as advertising, game design, education, criminal justice, medical, and more. Just a few employment options for Texas-based animators include:
- Ad Ideas, Inc., San Antonio
- Design at Work Creative Services, Houston
- DNA Productions, Dallas
- Locke Bryan Productions, Houston
- Planet Texas Studios, Austin
- Powerhouse Animation, Austin
- Reel FX Studios, Dallas
- Witherspoon Marketing Communications, Fort Worth
In addition to a variety of employment opportunities for aspiring animators, Texas is the birthplace of The Texas Avery Animation Award. The state is also home to an interesting mix of conferences and festivals such as:
- Austin Film Festival
- South by Southwest (SXSW) - (SXSW Gaming Expo)
- Houston Film Commission's Texas Filmmakers Showcase
- The Attic Film Festival (TAFF)
- The Lone Star International Film Festival (LSIFF)
The state also has International Game Developers Association (IGDA) chapters in Austin and Dallas. Most of these conferences, festivals and associations welcome animation entries and members.
Texas is home to at least nine principal cities, each with its own art and culture scene. As you may have guessed, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, and Fort Worth are the largest and trendiest cities, so a large number of opportunities can be found in these areas. However, other principal cities such as El Paso, Arlington, Corpus Christi, and Plano are well worth exploring.
Awesome Animation Fact: All of the following animated films had a budget of $200 million or more: Cars 2 (2011), Toy Story 3 (2010), Monsters University (2013), and Tangled (2013). Live action blockbuster films such as Spider-Man 2 (2004), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) and Titanic (1997) also had an estimated budget of $200 million.