Top 10 Animation Training Programs in Europe - 2019 School Rankings

Our 2019 rankings of the top animation training programs in Europe. For this ranking we only consider professional training programs, that is, non-degree programs such as certificate, diploma, and similar programs that are not formal 4-year bachelor's degrees. For an explanation of our ranking criteria, click here. 

1. Gobelins, The School of Image, Paris, France

Founded in 1975, Gobelins, The School of Images, offers Photography, Animated Filmmaking, 3D Animation, Motion Design, and Video Gaming programs. The school’s offerings cater to needs of professionals, businesses, international students, other schools, festivals and even cultural services of embassies. Program options for animators include a BA in Animated Filmmaking (4 years, full-time), an MA in Character Animation and Animated Filmmaking (2 years, full-time) and one-year Diplomas in 3D Character Animation and Motion Design. The Character Animation Program includes a 2-month internship with a studio, in France or abroad. Gobelins alumni have landed positions at studios such as DreamWorks Animation, and have worked on productions such as Despicable Me, Shark Tale, and A Monster in Paris.

2. National Film and Television School, Beaconsfield – Buckinghamshire, England

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National Film and Television School (NFTS) opened in 1971 as The National Film School. The school serves more than 400 students enrolled in more than 30 MA and Diploma programs. The only UK film school with its own television studios and post-production facilities, NFTS offers MA degrees in Directing Animation, Digital Effects, and  Screenwriting (Animation, Film, TV), as well as a Diploma in Model Making for Animation and a Certificate in Character Animation (three months). The MA Programs may be completed in two years and the Diploma Program takes one year to complete. Internship opportunities are available and all programs require a full-time commitment.

3.  Filmakademie Baden-Wurttemberg, Ludwigsburg, Germany

Filmakademie Baden-Wurttemberg (est. 1991) is home to the Animation Institute. Established in 2002, the Institute is a training center for Animation, VFX, and International Media. Per the school, “the curriculum is practice-oriented and project-based” covering “the entire spectrum of animation.” Students will engage in interdisciplinary work in all the departments of the Film Academy, interact with guest speakers, and participate in the FMX Conference on Animation, Effects, Games and Transmedia, which the Animation Institute has hosted since 1994. Diplomas are offered in Animation Artist, Effects Artist, Animation/Effects Producer, and Technical Director. Animation Institute graduate films regularly win prizes at major festivals such as SIGGRAPH and the VES Awards. Many alumni go on to establish successful careers at media companies or well-known studios, while others have established their own businesses.

4. Trazos School of the Arts, Madrid, Spain

Trazos School of the Arts has been existence for 25 years. Per the school, Trazos trains professionals in technology and new media as well as Digital Art disciplines such as Animation, VFX, Motion Graphics, Graphic Design, Web Development, Videogames, Digital Marketing, and more. The school says that the objective of all its training is the creation of specialized professional profiles, with a focus entirely aimed at job placement in the industry, as well as updating and improving skills of active professionals. Aspiring animators choose the 3D and Animation Program, which covers the first stages of production to texturing and final animation, using the latest software and tools including Maya, Zbrush, Substance Painter, Nuke Studio, Arnold, and more. Graduates will leave the program with a portfolio and “videoreel.”

5. The Odd School, Lisboa, Portugal

The Odd School was established in 2007 as an educational space to "feed” the Animation, Games, Visual FX and Programming industries. The school offers intensive courses that take anywhere from 12 to 24 months to complete, full-time, eight hours a day, five days a week. Program options include 3D Modeling & Texturing (12 months), 3D Animation (13 months), and Concept Art (24 months). Foundation courses ensure that students master the tools necessary to complete a large number of required projects. Foundation courses include 3DS Max, After Effects, Cinema 4D,  Drawing, Traditional Sculpture, Script for Animation/Cinema, Houdini, Maya,  Modeling and Render for Architecture, Photoshop, Project for Pitching and Support, Rigging, Storyboard, Toonboom, VRay, and ZBrush. Graduates will leave the program with a portfolio consistent and equivalent to that of a Junior Artist.

6. 9Zeros Animation School, Barcelona, Spain

9Zeros (Escola de Cinema de Barcelona – ECIB) says that it is one of the only institutions in Europe that combines all the cinematographic disciplines, with courses and masters in 2D, 3D and Stop-Motion Animation, Cinematographic Direction, Sound, Photography, and Documentary Cinema. Specific programs for aspiring animators include a three-year Animation training program covering the three branches of animation: 2D, 3D and Stop-Motion Animation. ECIB says that it is “the only school in Catalonia” that provides training in all three branches. The program requires 180 credit hours of study to graduate. Upon completion of the program, 9Zeros/ECIB graduates have landed positions with major studios and companies such as Pixar, Double Negative, Weta Digital, Lightbox Animation Studios, Aardman Animations, and many others.

7. Universal Arts School, Valencia, Spain

Established in 1994, Universal Arts School (UA) has two campuses in Valencia, Spain and one in Hollywood, California. The school offers a Character Animation Bachelor's that takes 33 months to complete, a Character Animation Diploma that takes 25 months to complete, and a 17-month Character Animation Master's. Programs may be completed on campus or online and all students have the opportunity to complete a final project and professional demo reel. A unique benefit of the program is the Start-Up component, which helps students develop the skills needed to start their own business. In addition to starting their own studios, graduates of the program have landed positons at BlueSky Studios, Blizzard Entertainment, Disney, Pixar, Lucasfilm Animation, Industrial Light & Magic, and many others.

8. Anomalie, Litomysl, Czech Republic

Established in 2008, Anomalia offers professional training in animation in a unique environment. Programs are held at the European Training Center, which is part of the “renowned” Renaissance castle complex and old brewery house. The school says that Anomalia “does not feel like a school, which is what we wanted.” Aspiring animators have their choice of programs or labs including 3D Graphics, 3D Animation, Concept Art Lab, Character Design Lab, and the Story Lab. Students will work solo and/or with mentors and peers to create a series of animated projects. Graduates of the programs at Anomalia have landed positions at PIXAR, Valve, Aardman Animations, Blue Sky Studios, and many others.  

9. TRUEMAX – Copenhagen Academy of Games, Animation and Visual Effects, Copenhagen, Denmark

TRUEMAX – Copenhagen Academy of Games, Animation and Visual Effects has been teaching 3D, CGI and VFX since 1998. The school offers a full-time 3D Digital Artist Program that takes 3.5 years to complete. The Bachelor’s Degree program begins with Foundation Theory (3D Basics, Moving Image, Game Character), then progresses to the final project, apprenticeship at a 3D company, and completion of the showreel. Other program highlights include guest instructors, optional lectures, and a study abroad trip. Graduates are prepared to seek positions in Film, Games, Advertising, Architecture, and more. 

10. Animum Creativity Advanced School, Málaga, Spain

Animum Creativity Advanced School has been teaching Digital Arts for more than a decade. The school serves hundreds of students in more than 30 countries enrolled in programs delivered face-to-face and online. Programs for aspiring animators include Master’s Degrees in 3D Animation and Illustration, Advanced 3D Production, Animation or Modeling of 3D Characters for Cinema and Videogames, VFX and Composition with Houdini and Nuke, and Digital Drawing and Animation 2D. A number of intensive courses and workshops are also offered including Digital Composition with Nuke, Animation of 3D Characters for Video Games, Rigging 3D Characters, Advanced Cartoon Animation, Explode Your Reel - Animation or Animation of Creatures for VFX, Foundations of 3D Production with Autodesk MAYA, Basics of Drawing, and Foundations of 2D Animation. Animum alums have landed positions at videogame studios, advertising companies, VFX studios, and motion graphics studios for web and television. Framestore and Illumination Mac Guff are just a few companies that have hired Animum graduates.