| Ranking | School | City | Ranking by Region | National Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh | #6 on East Coast | #22 |
| #2 | Drexel University | Philadelphia | #10 on East Coast | #49 |
| #3 | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | #11 on East Coast | #50 |
| #4 | Pennsylvania Western University | Edinboro | Unranked | Unranked |
| #5 | Moore College of Art and Design | Philadelphia | Unranked | Unranked |
Our 2026 ranking -our fifteenth annual- of the top animation school programs in Pennsylvania.
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.
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) houses the Robotics Institute and the Integrative Design, Arts and Technology (IDeATe) Network. Together, the institute and network provide an Animation and Special Effects minor for students in any CMU major. Courses for this 45-unit program are immersive and project-based, with titles such as Bipedal Rigging for Animation Production; Experimental Capture; and Storytelling Through Effects Animation. For animation students seeking a BFA, Carnegie Mellon also has an Electronic and Time-Based Media BFA (ETB BFA) program that explores areas such as animation, digital storytelling, and experimental game design. CMU ETB and Animation alumni are routinely hired at places such Walt Disney Animation Studios, Electronic Arts (EA), Sony, DreamWorks Animation, Blizzard Entertainment, MTV, Comedy Central, Take-Two Interactive, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Games.
The following factors contribute to Carnegie Mellon University'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: Highly Selective (Tier 1)
Average Net Cost: Elevated Average Net Cost (Tier 4)
Student Indebtedness: Moderate Student Debt (Tier 3)
Graduation Rate: Exceptional Graduation Rate (Tier 1)
First-Year Retention Rate: Exceptional First-Year Student Retention (Tier 1)
Ranking Factor Tiers: Tier 1 represents the strongest performance and Tier 5 represents the weakest performance within each ranking factor.
The Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design at Drexel University has several paths to study animation. Options include a BS in Animation and Visual Effects (VFX); Digital Media MS; Dual Animation and VFX BS/Digital Media MS; Digital Media and Virtual Production BS/Digital Media MS; Digital Media PhD; and a minor in Animation and VFX. The Digital Media programs are STEM Designated. Across all programs students have the opportunity to complete a paid or unpaid co-op at places such as Pixar or Cartoon Network. Students also enjoy small class sizes and access to state-of-the-art production facilities. Graduates have gone on to work on projects such as The Mandalorian and Avengers: Infinity War. Program alumni have also been hired at places such as DreamWorks, Pixar, Microsoft, Disney, and NCSoft.
The following factors contribute to Drexel's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 animation school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Strong Academic Peer Recognition (Tier 3)
Faculty Size: Large Faculty (Tier 2)
Graduate Employment: Strong Employment Outcomes (Tier 2)
Admissions Selectivity: Accessible (Tier 4)
Average Net Cost: Elevated Average Net Cost (Tier 4)
Student Indebtedness: Elevated Student debt (Tier 4)
Graduation Rate: Moderate Graduation Rate (Tier 3)
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.
University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) provides several paths to study animation. Options include BA degrees in Fine Arts, and Fine Arts and Design; a Bachelor’s of Engineering and Science (BSE) in Digital Media Design (DMD); the DMD minor; and a Computer Graphics and Game Technology (CGGT) Engineering MS (MSE). Across programs, students have access to state-of-the-art production facilities such as the SIG Center for Computer Graphics and Penn Animation Research Lab. Across programs, graduates are routinely hired at places such as DreamWorks, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Microsoft, Pixar, Walt Disney Animation, Electronic Arts (EA), Google, Zynga, Activision Blizzard, and Sony.
The following factors contribute to UPenn's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 animation school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Strong Academic Peer Recognition (Tier 3)
Faculty Size: Small Faculty (Tier 4)
Graduate Employment: Strong Employment Outcomes (Tier 2)
Admissions Selectivity: Highly Selective (Tier 1)
Average Net Cost: Elevated Average Net Cost (Tier 4)
Student Indebtedness: Low Student Debt (Tier 2)
Graduation Rate: Exceptional Graduation Rate (Tier 1)
First-Year Retention Rate: Exceptional First-Year Student Retention (Tier 1)
Ranking Factor Tiers: Tier 1 represents the strongest performance and Tier 5 represents the weakest performance within each ranking factor.
Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest) houses a Media Arts BFA program with a concentration in Animation. Program highlights include hands-on projects; studio tours (DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, and Disney, to name a few); access to state-of-the-art production facilities; trips to animation conferences and festivals in Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto; courses taught by industry professionals; visiting animators, storyboard artists, and directors; professional internships; and participation in the Animation Club. The program culminates with the Animation Production Capstone consisting of an animated work and presentation. Graduates can be found at places such as Blizzard Entertainment, DreamWorks, Pixar, iHeartMedia, Nickelodeon, Disney, Cumulus Media, WHYY, and Blair Image Elements.
The following factors contribute to Pennsylvania Western'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: Strong Employment Outcomes (Tier 2)
Admissions Selectivity: Highly Accessible (Tier 5)
Average Net Cost: Low-mid Average Net Cost (Tier 2)
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.
Moore College of Art and Design (Moore) has an Animation and Game Arts BFA program that highlights a guaranteed $1,000 paid internship. Students have interned at places such as ARG! Cartoon Animation, Quadratron Games, and KiwiCo. Other program highlights include access to state-of-the-art animation labs, studios, and gaming lounges; a required summer internship; visiting artist talks featuring animators who have worked with Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and more; and participation in AniJams. Minors in Animation and Game Arts, and Comics are also available. Ther BFA program culminates with the Senior Studio and Senior Thesis courses. Graduates enjoy a 97% success rate. Moore alumni have been hired at places such as Nickelodeon, Apple, Smithsonian Institution, NBCUniversal, Tyco, Penguin Publishing Group, Twitch, Los Angeles Film Festival, Philadelphia Eagles, and Brazen Animation.
The following factors contribute to Moore College of Art and Design's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 animation school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Moderate Academic Peer Recognition (Tier 4)
Faculty Size: Mid-Sized Faculty (Tier 3)
Graduate Employment: Fair Employment Outcomes (Tier 4)
Admissions Selectivity: Moderately Selective (Tier 3)
Average Net Cost: Substantial Average Net Cost (Tier 5)
Student Indebtedness: Elevated Student debt (Tier 4)
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.
