California Animation Schools: Most Expensive to Least Expensive

California is home to more than 450 Title IV degree-granting institutions. These schools are eligible for Title IV federal financial-aid programs, which means they have accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, have been in business for at least 2 years, have signed a participation agreement with the Department, they grant an associate's degree or higher, and they offer a program of at least 300 clock hours in length.

Many of these accredited California colleges have some of the best art and design, communications, new media, and film departments in the world. The animation programs offered by these schools are top-tier, which means they may be on the expensive side. However, a degree in animation from any of these schools will surely place you ahead of the pack—no matter where you decide to live.

If you’re ready to shop and compare California animation schools, take a look at the most to least expensive schools below and what you can expect to pay. Keep in mind that resident tuition is always lower than non-resident tuition.

Most Expensive California Animation Schools

Gnomon School of Visual Effects
Hollywood, Tuition Cost: Entertainment Design and Digital Production, $78,000 ($3,500 per term for terms one through four, then $8,000 per term for terms five through 12). Digital Production for Entertainment, $64,000 for the two-year program ($8,000 per term for eight terms). Entertainment Design, $14,000 for the one-year program ($3,500 per term for four terms). Certain fees may be several thousand dollars over the course of a program. They are not included in these figures.

University of Southern California (USC)
Los Angeles, Tuition Cost: Undergraduates $40,384, graduates $40,384 for the 2010 – 2011 school year

California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate $37,684, graduate $37,684 for the 2010 – 2011 school year

Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate $36,426 for the 2010 – 2011 school year

Chapman University
Orange, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate $35,790 for the 2010 – 2011 school year

California College of the Arts
San Francisco, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate $34,872; graduate $36,360 for the 2010 – 2011 school year

Art Center College of Design
Pasadena, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate $32,592 for the 2010 – 2011 school year

San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate $32,414 for the 2010 – 2011 school year

Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate $32,200; graduate $33,200 for the 2010 – 2011 school year

Biola University
La Mirada, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate $28,852 for the 2010 – 2011 school year

Woodbury University
Burbank, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate $28,742 for the 2010 – 2011 school year

Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
Irvine, Tuition Cost: A. A. Digital Media, $23,785 for a nine-month program; A. A. Digital Media, Professional Designation, $26,050 for a 15-month program; A. A. Graphic Design, $23,785 for a nine-month program; A. A. Graphic Design, Professional Designation, $26,050 for a 12-month program. All rates are for the 2010 – 2011 school year.

Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
Los Angeles, Tuition Cost: A. A. Digital Media, $23,785 for a nine-month program; A. A. Digital Media, Professional Designation, $26,050 for a 15-month program; A. A. Graphic Design, $23,785 for a nine-month program; A. A. Graphic Design, Professional Designation, $26,050 for a 12-month program. All rates are for the 2010 – 2011 school year.

Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
San Diego, Tuition Cost: A. A. Digital Media, $23,785 for a nine-month program; A. A. Digital Media, Professional Designation, $26,050 for a 15-month program; A. A. Graphic Design, $23,785 for a nine-month program; A. A. Graphic Design, Professional Designation, $26,050 for a 12-month program. All rates are for the 2010 – 2011 school year.

Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
San Francisco, Tuition Cost: A. A. Digital Media, $23,785 for a nine-month program; A. A. Digital Media, Professional Designation, $26,050 for a 15-month program; A. A. Graphic Design, $23,785 for a nine-month program; A. A. Graphic Design, Professional Designation, $26,050 for a 12-month program. All rates are for the 2010 – 2011 school year.

Laguna College of Art and Design
Laguna Beach, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate $22,600 for the 2010 – 2011 school year

Ex’pression College for Digital Arts
Emeryville, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate $21,080 for the 2010 – 2011 school year

Least Expensive California Animation Schools

Academy of Art University
San Francisco, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate $17,760, graduate $20,160 for the 2010 – 2011 school year

University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC)
Santa Cruz, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate residents $12,447, nonresidents $35,325; graduate residents $12,214, nonresidents $27,316 for the 2011 - 2012 school year.

University of California
Irvine, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate residents $11,927, nonresidents $33,998; graduate residents $13,415, nonresidents $28,517 for the 2010 – 2011 school year

University of California San Diego
San Diego, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate residents $11,330, nonresidents $33,351 plus mandatory fees for the 2010 – 2011 school year

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Los Angeles, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate residents $10,302, nonresidents $32,323; graduate residents $10,393, nonresidents $24,996 for the 2010 – 2011 school year.  Health insurance is mandatory, either through UCLA or from an outside source

California State University
Chico, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate in-state $5,830, non-residents $14,758 (12 units per semester); graduate in-state $6,862, non-residents $15,970 (12 units per semester) for the 2010 – 2011 school year

California State University
Northridge, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate in-state $5,076, non-residents $14,004 (12 units per semester); graduate in-state $6,060, non-residents $14,988 (12 units per semester) for the 2010 – 2011 school year

California State University
Fullerton, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate in-state $5,076 non-residents $14,004 (12 units per semester); graduate in-state $6,108 non-residents $15,036 (12 units per semester) for the 2010 – 2011 school year

California State University
Long Beach, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate in-state $5,020, non-residents $13,948 (12 units per semester); graduate in-state $6,052, non-residents $14,980 (12 units per semester) for the 2010 – 2011 school year

San Francisco State University
San Francisco, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate residents $4,440 plus local fees; nonresidents $13,368 plus local fees for the 2010 – 2011 school year.  Fees are subject to increase at any time.

San Jose State University
San Jose, Tuition Cost: Undergraduate residents $4,440 plus local fees, nonresidents $13,368 plus local fees; graduate residents $5,472 plus local fees, nonresidents $14,400 plus local fees for the 2010 – 2011 school year.  All fees are subject to increase at any time.

More California schools with Animation related programs to consider:

California Animation Scene

What makes California the world’s most active place for animators? For starters, most of the world’s largest animation studios can be found here including DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures Animation, and Walt Disney Feature Animation. The state also has the largest film industry in the world and it is home to more salaried animators than any other place in the world. Currently, the state is home to more nearly 10,000 salaried animators—and counting. Besides Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Burbank, other top California cities for animators include San Francisco, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Redwood City, Long Beach, and Glendale.

The California film and video industry employs the highest number of animators in the world. However, many animators also work in advertising at some of the state’s top agencies such as Foot, Cone & Belding, J. Walter Thompson, and Saatchi & Saatchi. California animators also work at some of the states 5,000+ technology firms, at major game development companies such as EA Games and Sony Computer Entertainment, and at secondary and post-secondary academic institutions. Criminal justice, science, architecture, and medicine are just a few other industries here with a growing need for talented animators.