Top Animation Programs in California

Examples of Top Animation Programs in California
School	City
California State University Northridge	Northridge
California State University Long Beach	Long Beach
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)	Los Angeles
University of Southern California (USC)	Los Angeles
Loyola Marymount University	Los Angeles
Chapman University	Orange
Art Center College of Design	Pasadena
Otis College of Art and Design	Pasadena
California Institute of the Arts	Valencia
Laguna College of Art and Design	Laguna Beach
Academy of Art University	San Francisco
California College of the Arts	San Francisco
San Jose State University	San Jose
University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC)	Santa Cruz

So, what’s the difference between a “Best” animation school and a “Top” animation school? For starters, the criteria used to establish a “best” program might be different for top programs. One area that “best of” lists might not consider is the student population. These students may choose a top school for different reasons than someone that might choose a best school. For example, a top school may cost less than a best school, it might be more convenient than a best school, or the admissions process might be easier, meaning, being wait-listed might be a worry.

Simply put, a top school can still be a beloved school (and a quality one to boot), but this might have more to do with being sensible than anything! That said, some of the best schools also made the list of top schools, so continue reading to find out which ones made the cut. Please note that the top schools listed below are in order by student population from largest to smallest.

Top Animation School Programs Southern California

Northridge
California State University Northridge
Student Population: 29,880
Backdrop: Urban, 356-acre campus, easy access to Los Angeles
Degrees Offered: B. A. Animation, Video/Digital art, Graphic Design, Illustration; M.
A. Art, Studio Art Option with Video/Digital Art Concentration; Visual Communication
Option with Illustration or Video/Digital Art Concentration; M. F. A. Art, Studio Art
Option with Video/Digital Art Concentration; Visual Communication Option with
Illustration, Video/Digital Art Concentration or Graphic Design Concentration

Long Beach
California State University Long Beach
Student Population: 27,436
Backdrop: Suburban, 320-acre campus, easy access to Los Angeles
Degrees Offered: B. A. and B. F. A. in Art with Graphic Design or Illustration Option;
M. F. A. Art with Concentration in Studio Art: - Graphic Design or Illustration/
Animation Track

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Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Student Population: 26,162
Backdrop: Urban, 419-acre campus
Degrees Offered: B. A. Film, Television
University of Southern California (USC)
Student Population: 17,414
Backdrop: Urban, 229-acre campus
Degrees Offered: B. A. Animation and Digital Arts, Interactive Entertainment; M. F. A. Animation and Digital Arts, Interactive Media
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM)
Student Population: 7,500
Backdrop: Urban, 4-acre campus
Degrees Offered: A. A. in Digital Media, Graphic Design (Branding or Entertainment);
many students go on to earn their B. S. degrees in Business Management
Loyola Marymount University
Student Population: 6,069
Backdrop: Urban, 150-acre campus overlooking Los Angeles
Degrees Offered: B. A. Animation, Studio Arts with Graphic Design Emphasis

Orange
Chapman University
Student Population: 4,910
Backdrop: Suburban, 76-acre campus
Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Digital Arts with Emphasis in Animation or Visual Effects;
Graphic Design; Studio Art: New Genres

La Mirada
Biola University
Student Population: 3,989
Backdrop: Suburban, 95-care campus, easy access to Los Angeles
Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Art with Design Concentration

Pasadena
Art Center College of Design
Student Population: 1,485
Backdrop: Suburban, 175-acre hillside campus
Degrees Offered: B. S. Entertainment Design; B. F. A. Graphic Design; B. F. A.
Illustration
Otis College of Art and Design
Student Population: 997
Backdrop: Urban, 5-acre campus
Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Graphic Design, Illustration, Digital Media; M. F. A. Graphic
Design

Valencia
California Institute of the Arts
Student Population: 895
Backdrop: Suburban, 60-acre campus, easy access to Los Angeles
Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Art, Graphic Design, Character Animation or Experimental
Animation; M. F. A. Graphic Design (with or without specialization in Motion Graphics),
Art and Technology, Experimental

Laguna Beach
Laguna College of Art and Design
Student Population: 450
Backdrop: Small beach town, 9-acre campus, easy access to Newport Beach, Irvine
Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Graphic Design, Illustration, Game Art, Animation

San Diego
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
Student Population: 292
Backdrop: Urban, 4-acre campus
Degrees Offered: A. A. in Digital Media, Graphic Design (Branding or Entertainment);
many students go on to earn their B. S. degrees in Business Management
University of California San Diego
Student Population: 23,663
Backdrop: Suburban 1976-acre, easy access to San Diego
Degrees Offered: B. A. Interdisciplinary Computing in the Arts, Media

Top Animation School Programs Northern California

San Francisco
Academy of Art University
Student Population: 11,205
Backdrop: Urban, 3-acre campus
Degrees Offered: A. A., B. F. A., M. F. A. Animation and Visual Effects; B. F. A., M.
F. A. Game Design; A. A., B. F. A., M. F. A. Graphic Design; A. A., B. F. A., M. F. A.
Illustration
California College of the Arts
Student Population: 1,502
Backdrop: Urban, 4-acre campus
Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Animation, Graphic Design, Illustration; M. F. A. Design
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
Student Population: 960
Backdrop: Urban, 4-acre campus
Degrees Offered: A. A. in Digital Media, Graphic Design (Branding or Entertainment);
many students go on to earn their B. S. degrees in Business Management
San Francisco Art Institute
Student Population: 353
Backdrop: Urban, 3-acre campus
Degrees Offered: B. F. A Design and Technology, New Genres
San Francisco State University
Student Population: 25,170
Backdrop: Urban, 142-acre campus
Degrees Offered: B. S. Visual Communication Design

San Jose
San Jose State University
Student Population: 23,021
Backdrop: Urban, 104-acre campus
Degrees Offered: B. A. Art: Design Studies with emphasis in Graphic Design, B. F. A.
Art: Animation/Illustration, B. F. A. Art: Digital Media Art, B. F. A. Graphic Design; M. F. A. Art: Digital Media Art Concentration

Santa Cruz
University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC)
Student Population: 15,668
Backdrop: Small town, 2000-acre campus, easy access to San Jose and San Francisco
Degrees Offered: B. A. Film and Digital Media, Art: Electronic/Digital Media; B. S.
Computer Science: Computer Game Design; M. F. A. Digital Arts and New Media; Ph.
D. Film and Digital Media, Computer Science with focus on Games

More Programs to Consider: