| Ranking | School | City | Ranking by Region | National Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Arizona State University | Tempe | #4 in Southwest | #21 |
| #2 | University of Advancing Technology | Tempe | #10 in Southwest | Unranked |
| #3 | Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff | Unranked | Unranked |
| #4 | Grand Canyon University | Phoenix | Unranked | Unranked |
| #5 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | Prescott | Unranked | Unranked |
Our 2026 ranking of the top animation school programs in Arizona.
The criteria we used for the animation rankings consists, in no particular order, of the following: Academic reputation, Employment data, Admission selectivity, Depth and breadth of the program, Value as it relates to tuition and indebtedness, Graduation rate, and Retention rate. For an explanation of ranking criteria, click here.
The Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University (ASU) provides several paths to study animation. Options include the Art BFA with a concentration in Animation; the Art MFA with a Digital Technology concentration; and an 18 credit-hour Animation minor. Through electives, MFA students can study stop motion animation, game art, visual effects (VFX), and screenwriting. All students have access to state-of-the-art production facilities and internship opportunities with local studios. Graduates have been hired at places such as Disney, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Adidas, and Intel.
The following factors contribute to ASU's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 animation school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Elite Academic Peer Recognition (Tier 1)
Faculty Size: Large Faculty (Tier 2)
Graduate Employment: Strong Employment Outcomes (Tier 2)
Admissions Selectivity: Accessible (Tier 4)
Average Net Cost: Minimal Average Net Cost (Tier 1)
Student Indebtedness: Low Student Debt (Tier 2)
Graduation Rate: Fair Graduation Rate (Tier 4)
First-Year Retention Rate: Strong First-Year Student Retention (Tier 2)
Ranking Factor Tiers: Tier 1 represents the strongest performance and Tier 5 represents the weakest performance within each ranking factor.
As a 100% STEM-based institution, University of Advancing Technology (UAT) is one of the few universities of its kind in the U.S. For animators, the school has a Game Art and Animation (GAA) BA program that provides the opportunity to work in a real game production environment with designers and programmers. Other highlights include community projects, internships, and apprenticeships. The program culminates with a final project, portfolio, and presentation. UAT graduates can be found at places such as Blizzard Entertainment, Sony, Electronic Arts (EA), Sony, Gearbox Software, Bethesda, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, eBay, Boeing, GoDaddy, Cisco, Northrop Grumman, and Honeywell.
The School of Communication at Northern Arizona University (NAU) is home to the Visual Communication BFA with an Animation emphasis. Students in the program benefit from small, studio-based courses; access to state-of-the-art production facilities; internships; and opportunities to work on real-world projects in the campus-based Advanced Media Lab and VisualDESIGNLab. The program culminates with the Animation Senior Reel course. Graduates have been hired at places such as Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Pixar, Bungie, Amazon Game Studios, Netflix, IBM, Google, and The Mill.
The College of Arts and Media at Grand Canyon University (GCU) has a Digital Design BA program with an Animation emphasis area. Program highlights include collaborative projects; internships; travel to Phoenix Design Week and participation in Design United; professional critiques; and the Design Professionalism course, which focuses on personal branding; marketing; project management; and networking. With online and on-campus options, the program culminates with the Grand Canyon University Senior Showcase. GCU graduates can be found at places such as Netflix, Adobe, and Tesla.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Embry-Riddle) has a Simulation Science, Games and Animation (SSGA) BS program that covers animation, game production, storytelling, virtual world development, systems design, and interactive digital environments. Courses for the program are STEM- and project-based with opportunities to work in teams on animations, virtual worlds, interactive experiences, and more. Other program benefits include courses taught by industry professionals; access to state-of-the-art production facilities; and optional internship opportunities. Embry-Riddle alumni have been hired at places such as Blizzard Entertainment, Disney, Microsoft, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Boeing, Sony, the Department of Defense Modeling and Simulation Office (DMSO), RTX, Meta, Super League, and ForgeFX Simulations.
