Texas Animation Schools: Most Expensive to Least Expensive

According to the most recent report by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Texas is home to 252 Title IV degree-granting institutions. This means, the state has the fourth largest collection of Title IV schools in the U.S. Texas’s Title IV schools are also among the best in the nation and because they are Title IV, these institutions are eligible for federal financial aid programs. This means, students with financial need have access to even the most expensive schools.

Before earning Title IV status, each school must meet five strict requirements. These requirements were established by the U.S. Department of Education. A Title IV school 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) have been in business for at least 2 years, and (5) sign a participation agreement with the Department.

Several Texas Title IV schools offer excellent art and design programs—including animation programs. Just few top Texas art schools include The College of Fine Arts at the University of Texas at Austin, and The College of Visual & Performing Arts at Texas Tech University. Continue reading to find out which Texas schools offer animation programs, and how much you can expect to pay. 

Most to Least Expensive Texas Animation Schools

University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas - Tuition Information: Undergraduate $29,976 for the 2012 - 2013 school year. Tuition does not include fees of $1,642 per year.

Sam Houston State University, Huntsville - Tuition Information: Undergraduate residents $10,666, nonresidents $25,084; graduate residents $14,058, nonresidents $26,898 for the 2012 – 2013 school year.

Texas Animation Schools – Other Options

Texas is home to a number of community colleges that offer animation programs at a lower cost. Just a few of the best include Houston Community College ($31 per credit hour in-state, $64 out-of-state), Collin College (McKinney, $31 per credit hour in county, $68 out-of-county, $128 out-of-state or country), and Richland College (Dallas, $45 per credit hour in-county, $83 out-of-county, $132 out-of-state).

More Animation related programs to consider:  

Texas Animation Scene

According to the most recent report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (March 27, 2012), The Lone Star State is now home to nearly 1,800 salaried animators & multimedia artists and 106,350 salaried artists overall. In addition to several major colleges that offer top-tier animation programs, Texas is the birthplace of The Texas Avery Animation Award and it is also home to a diverse group of film festivals such as The Attic Film Festival (TAFF), the Austin Film Festival, the Game Developers Conference, Houston Film Commission's Texas Filmmakers Showcase, and The Lone Star International Film Festival (LSIFF). Many of these festivals welcome animated entries.

While many Texas animators work in the advertising and film & video industries,  they can also find work in the technology sector, graphic design, web design, education and more. Opportunities can be found at a number of firms such as DNA Productions (Dallas), Locke Bryan Productions (Houston), Ad Ideas, Inc. (San Antonio), Design at Work Creative Services (Houston), Reel FX Studios (Dallas), Witherspoon & Associated, Inc. (Fort Worth), and 1080 Entertainment (San Antonio).

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 here. However, other principal cities such as El Paso, Arlington, Corpus Christi, and Plano are well worth exploring.