| Ranking | School | City | Ranking by Region | National Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kansas City Art Institute | Kansas City | #9 in Midwest | #39 |
| #2 | Webster University | St. Louis | #20 in Midwest | Unranked |
| #3 | Hollywood Animation Academy | Kansas City | Unranked | Unranked |
| #4 | Missouri State University | Springfield | Unranked | Unranked |
| #5 | Southeast Missouri State University | Cape Girardeau | Unranked | Unranked |
Our 2026 ranking -our fifteenth annual- of the top animation school programs in Missouri.
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.
Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) has several paths to study animation. All options follow a mentor-based studio-instruction model, which allows students to customize their studies. Programs include the Animation BFA; an Animation and Art History BFA; and a BFA in Animation and Creative Writing. Programs begin with the First Year Foundation—an immersive experience takes place in a 20,000 square feet space featuring faculty meets, intensive studios, workshops, seminars, and presentations by international speakers. An optional internship is also part of the programs as well as a final animated project. Some program alumni go on to pursue graduate studies at places such as School of Visual Art (SVA) and California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), while others have been hired at Disney, Apple, Nickelodeon, Sony, Digital Domain, Google, Warner Bros., Titmouse, Netflix, Hallmark, and Fox.
The following factors contribute to KCAI's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 animation school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Excellent Academic Peer Recognition (Tier 2)
Faculty Size: Mid-Sized Faculty (Tier 3)
Graduate Employment: Strong Employment Outcomes (Tier 2)
Admissions Selectivity: Moderately Selective (Tier 3)
Average Net Cost: Moderate Average Net Cost (Tier 3)
Student Indebtedness: Substantial Student Debt (Tier 5)
Graduation Rate: Fair Graduation Rate (Tier 4)
First-Year Retention Rate: Moderate First-Year Student Retention (Tier 3)
Ranking Factor Tiers: Tier 1 represents the strongest performance and Tier 5 represents the weakest performance within each ranking factor.
The School of Communications (SOC) at Webster University (Webster) houses a STEM-designated Animation BA program that highlights small class sizes and collaborative projects across departments. Housed in a 66,000 square feet state-of-the-art media facility known as the Sverdrup Complex, the SOC is a designated Toon Boom Center of Excellence (COE) that provides access to state-of-the-art animation labs, film and video post-production suites, and game design studios. The SOC also houses an 18 credit hour Animation Production minor and professional internship program with opportunities to work at places such as MTV, Titmouse, ESPN, Plymptoons, and Bad Dog Pictures. Webster’s Animation BA program culminates with the capstone project and presentation. Graduates can be found at places such as Disney, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), DreamWorks, Sony Pictures Imageworks, and Digital Domain.
The following factors contribute to Webster's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 animation school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Moderate Academic Peer Recognition (Tier 4)
Faculty Size: Compact Faculty (Tier 5)
Graduate Employment: Moderate Employment Outcomes (Tier 3)
Admissions Selectivity: Moderately Selective (Tier 3)
Average Net Cost: Moderate Average Net Cost (Tier 3)
Student Indebtedness: Elevated Student debt (Tier 4)
Graduation Rate: Low Graduation Rate (Tier 5)
First-Year Retention Rate: Moderate First-Year Student Retention (Tier 3)
Ranking Factor Tiers: Tier 1 represents the strongest performance and Tier 5 represents the weakest performance within each ranking factor.
Hollywood Animation Academy (HAA) is the nation’s only post-secondary institution with a 100% animation-focused curriculum. Other HAA highlights include programs taught by animators from places such as DreamWorks and Disney; curriculums designed by veteran animators that allow students to begin producing films on day one; partnerships with Pixar recruiters and directors for portfolio critiques; projects that follow real-world production schedules; and single courses delivered live 100% online. Program options include Animation and Mastercraft Animation certificates. A 12-week Creative Edge (CE) Intermediate Portfolio Program is also available. Hollywood Animation Academy graduates are prepared to pursue positions with places such as Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Pixar, Nickelodeon, Electronic Arts (EA), DreamWorks, Warner Bros., Disney, Netflix Animation, Riot Games, Sony Pictures Animation, Cartoon Network, Blizzard Entertainment, Digital Domain, Naughty Dog, and The Mill.
The following factors contribute to HAA's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 animation school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Moderate Academic Peer Recognition (Tier 4)
Faculty Size: Large Faculty (Tier 2)
Graduate Employment: Limited Employment Outcomes (Tier 5)
Admissions Selectivity: Highly Accessible (Tier 5)
Average Net Cost: Substantial Average Net Cost (Tier 5)
Student Indebtedness: Substantial Student Debt (Tier 5)
Graduation Rate: Low Graduation Rate (Tier 5)
First-Year Retention Rate: Low First Year Student Retention (Tier 5)
Ranking Factor Tiers: Tier 1 represents the strongest performance and Tier 5 represents the weakest performance within each ranking factor.
Missouri State University (MSU) provides two paths to study animation including the Art BFA with a Computer Animation track, and an Electronic Arts BS with a Computer Animation Studies track. The Department of Art and Design houses the Art BFA. The BS is part of the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film. This program is provided in conjunction with the Department of Art and Design, meaning coursework and activities for the BS and BFA overlap. All students enjoy access to state-of-the-art facilities; collaborative projects; and internship opportunities. The Art BFA culminates with the Capstone and Senior Exhibition. BS students will complete the Senior Project in Electronic Arts to graduate. Across programs, graduates have been hired at places such as Nexstar Media Group, Self Interactive, White Buffalo Film Studios, Controller Chaos, and Think Tank PR + Marketing + Design.
The following factors contribute to MSU's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 animation school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Modest Academic Peer Recognition (Tier 5)
Faculty Size: Compact Faculty (Tier 5)
Graduate Employment: Moderate Employment Outcomes (Tier 3)
Admissions Selectivity: Highly Accessible (Tier 5)
Average Net Cost: Low-mid Average Net Cost (Tier 2)
Student Indebtedness: Moderate Student Debt (Tier 3)
Graduation Rate: Fair Graduation Rate (Tier 4)
First-Year Retention Rate: Moderate First-Year Student Retention (Tier 3)
Ranking Factor Tiers: Tier 1 represents the strongest performance and Tier 5 represents the weakest performance within each ranking factor.
Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) has several paths to study animation. Options include BA and BFA degrees in Art; the Game Development BS; and a BS in Mass Communications: TV and Film. Across programs, students can study animation through minors such as Interactive Design Technology or electives such as Computer Art; Screenwriting; Intermediate Film Production; Modeling and Simulation; Color Composition; Multimedia Storytelling; Film Editing; and Video Postproduction. All students also benefit from internship opportunities; access to state-of-the-art production facilities; and semester and full-year study abroad experiences. Programs culminate with a final project. SEMO graduates can be found at places such as Disney, Cirque du Soleil, Amazon, Farfetched Studios, Thryv, and Cloudspace.
The following factors contribute to SEMO's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 animation school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Modest Academic Peer Recognition (Tier 5)
Faculty Size: Compact Faculty (Tier 5)
Graduate Employment: Limited Employment Outcomes (Tier 5)
Admissions Selectivity: Accessible (Tier 4)
Average Net Cost: Minimal Average Net Cost (Tier 1)
Student Indebtedness: Moderate Student Debt (Tier 3)
Graduation Rate: Low Graduation Rate (Tier 5)
First-Year Retention Rate: Moderate First-Year Student Retention (Tier 3)
Ranking Factor Tiers: Tier 1 represents the strongest performance and Tier 5 represents the weakest performance within each ranking factor.
