| Ranking | School | State |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DePaul University | Illinois |
| 2 | Columbia College Chicago | Illinois |
| 3 | College for Creative Studies | Michigan |
| 4 | Purdue University | Indiana |
| 5 | Bowling Green State University | Ohio |
Our 2024 list of the Top 5 Visual Effects Programs in the Midwest, our third annual rankings for VFX. For an explanation of our ranking criteria, click here.
DePaul University (DePaul) is home to Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media (CDM), which houses the School of Cinematic Arts. Within the school is a Visual Effects minor that can be added to programs such as the BA, BFA, MS, and MFA Film and Television; the Animation BA, BFA, MA, and MFA; the Game Design BS and MFA; and the Game Programming BS and MS, among others. A Visual Effects concentration is also available for Film and Television students.
Consisting of 28 credit hours, the Visual Effects minor covers the techniques used to create visual effects for film, television, and multimedia. Courses include Introduction to Visual Effects; Compositing I-II; 3D Design and Modeling; Visual Effects Supervision or 3D Texturing and Lighting; Color Correction; and Editing I.
The Visual Effects concentration is a deep dive into VFX. In addition to the courses for the minor, the concentration includes courses such as Visual Effects Cinematography; Producing for Animation and VFX; Advanced Topics in Visual Effects; Editing II; CG Compositing; Motion Graphics; 3D Dynamics; Coding for Audio and Video; Virtual Cinematography; 3D Animation Production; Previsualization; Screenwriting; Image Science; Post-Production Seminar; and Post-Production Capstone.
Across programs, students have access to DePaul Cinespace Studios. Formed in partnership with Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, this 60,000 square foot space serves as a production facility and learning environment for film students. One of the biggest benefits is the opportunity to work near major productions filming on the Cinespace lot.
Other benefits include access to the latest software, tools, and technologies including Cintiq labs; 3D motion capture, motion control, and sophisticated sound studios; 3D printing, stop motion stages and fabrication studios; and professional-level animation and effects software. Students also have access to the Animation Lodge, which provides opportunities to network, collaborate on group projects, and build a professional portfolio.
Students in all programs also benefit from the visiting artist series, with past guests from Pixar and Disney; the LA Quarter Program—a 10-week immersive experience that provides internship opportunities at places such as DreamWorks Animation, Nickelodeon, Disney, The Jim Henson Company, Warner Brothers, Sony, Titmouse, and Bix Pix Entertainment; Project Bluelight, which supports independent filmmaking; and the student organization DePaul Cinema Collaborative (DCC), which supports collaborative projects, research, and guest lecturers.
Graduates of the Film, Animation, and Game programs at DePaul University are prepared to pursue careers in all areas of entertainment, advertising, game design, and many others. Across programs, alumni have been hired at places such Electronic Arts (EA), DreamWorks Animation, Cartoon Network, Disney Animation, LAIKA Studios, Nickelodeon Animation, Blizzard Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation, Iron Galaxy Studios, ShadowMachine, and The Mill.
Serving approximately 20,490 students, DePaul University is the largest private Catholic university in the United States. Founded in 1898, the school provides more than 300 programs across two Chicago campuses that house 10 colleges and schools. DePaul University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
The School of Film and Television at Columbia College Chicago has a Cinema Visual Effects (CVFX) concentration and an Editing and Post Production concentration that prepare students for direct entry into the field. Open to Film and Television BFA students, the CVFX concentration consists of 12 courses including Editing I; Editing I Studio; CVFX Foundations; Cinema Color I-II; CVFX Cinematography I; Computer Animation: Visual Effects; CVFX Compositing I-II; Computer Animation: Keyframing; and Motion Graphics I-II.
Also open to Film and Television BFA students, the Editing and Post Production concentration consists of many of the same courses for the CVFX program, as well as Experimental Editing; Applied Post-Production; Digital Workflow; Post-Production Audio I-III; Post-Production Supervisor; and Digital Imaging Technician and On-Set Post-Production.
Electives allow students to develop additional skills in areas such as screenwriting, traditional animation, experimental production, directing, interactive media, storytelling, and game culture.
All cinema visual effects, production, editing, directing, lighting, and related courses take place in the 35,500 square foot working and learning facility known as the Media Production Center (MPC). Designed for Columbia College Chicago and used exclusively by its students, the MPC also provides opportunities to collaborate, build sets, design lighting schemes, and direct productions.
Other program features include participation in the Semester in LA Program (SiLA). This multidisciplinary program allows students to work, live, and study in Hollywood for an entire semester. SiLA consists of courses held at Sunset Las Palmas Studios; a 15-20 hour a week LA-based internship; networking events; intensive week-long workshops in January and the summer; and trips to tapings, tours, and exclusive events.
The Film and Television BFA-CVFX program culminates with the production of a short, festival-quality film. Graduates are prepared to pursue careers in the entertainment industry, advertising, and anywhere VFX skills are required.
Columbia College Chicago alumni have been hired at places such as DreamWorks Studios, Weta FX, Pixar, Disney, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Warner Bros.
Columbia College Chicago was established in 1890 as the Columbia School of Oratory. The school serves approximately 6,700 students enrolled in more than 60 degree programs in areas such as communication, writing, music, and media, The school also provides several business management programs. Columbia College Chicago is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
The College for Creative Studies (CCS) received accreditation from Toon Boom’s Center of Excellence (COE) program in 2022, making it one of the first schools in the Midwest to earn the distinction. This public recognition certifies that a school’s animation program meets a high standard of quality.
More than 500 industry studios use Toon Boom 2D Software to create visual effects, films, games, television shows, and advertisements. Demand is high for artists with experience in Toon Boom, giving CCS graduates an advantage over other candidates seeking creative roles in the entertainment industry.
For students seeking careers in visual effects, College for Creative Studies has both Film and Entertainment programs. Leading to a BFA, the Film program provides the opportunity for students to produce their own films. Students also benefit from hands-on experiences; access to state-of-the-art production facilities; experiential learning opportunities such as internships, exhibitions, and faculty-led study abroad courses; industry partnerships; and the option to focus their studies through electives.
Consisting of 120-121 credit hours, the Film BFA curriculum includes courses such as Film Graphics and VFX I-II; CCS First Year Experience; Scriptwriting Workshop; 2D and 3D Integrated Design Studio; Experimental Filmmaking I-II; 3D Techniques; Color and Light Studies; 4D Design Studio; Experimental Filmmaking I-II; and History of Film.
The Film BFA program at College for Creative Studies culminates with the Film Thesis, completed across two courses. Graduates are prepared to pursue titles such as VFX Artist, Filmmaker, Art Director, Compositor, Editor, Colorist, Videographer, Sound Designer, and Cinematographer. Some program alumni also go on to launch their own film studios and production companies.
CCS Film BFA alumni have been hired at places such as Disney, Activision, Sony Pictures, HBO, Universal, Hulu, Netflix, and HBO.
The Entertainment Art BFA is one of the largest programs at College for Creative Studies. This STEM-designated, Unreal authorized program provides the same benefits as the Film BFA, along with concentrations in Concept Design; Animation; and Game Design. Students may also craft a focus area by selecting courses from all concentration areas.
Course examples across areas include Film Graphics and VFX I-II; Game Art (includes VFX); Creative Visualization; Experimental Filmmaking; Lighting and Rendering; Digital Techniques; Modeling and Texturing; Game Ideation; Stop Motion I-II; Advanced Creature Creation; Experimental Animation; Concept Design; 2D Animation; Sound Design I-II; Environments and Characters; and Advanced Rendering Techniques.
Students in the Concept Design concentration will complete a final project across two courses—Senior Concept Studio 1-2. Animation students will complete their final project across the Senior Production Studio I and II courses. The Game Design concentration culminates with Game Senior Studio courses I and II.
Graduates of the Entertainment Art BFA program at College for Creative Studies are prepared to pursue titles such as VFX Artist, VFX Supervisor, FX Artist, 3D Visualization Artist, Compositor, Rigger, Cinematographer, Game Artist, 3D Modeler, Director, Video Game Specialist, Editor, Character Animator, Mocap Artist, Stop Motion Animator, CG Artist, and Digital Production Designer.
Program alumni have been hired at places such as DreamWorks, Pixar, Marvel, Google, Nickelodeon, Lucasfilm, Disney, Cartoon Network, Warner Bros., Universal, EA Sports, Blizzard Entertainment, DC Comics, Titmouse, Technicolor Animation Productions, and WildBrain Media Company.
College for Creative Studies was founded in 1906 as the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts. This private, nonprofit institution serves approximately 1,450 students enrolled in more than 50 degree, minor, and certificate programs. CCS is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
Purdue University (Purdue) is home to Purdue Polytechnic Institute (Purdue Polytechnic or The Polytechnic). One of the 10 academic colleges of Purdue, Purdue Polytechnic began as the Department of Practical Mechanics in 1879. In 2005, the department was renamed the College of Technology. Today, The Polytechnic consists of six academic departments, and it is the college for Purdue’s Division of Military Science and Technology and its three ROTC programs on campus.
Among Purdue Polytechnic’s departments is the Department of Computer Graphics Technology (CGT), which has several paths to study visual effects. Options include the BS, MS, accelerated five-year BS/MS, and the CGT PhD. Students in all programs may concentrate in Animation and Visual Effects.
Accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET), the CGT Department provides opportunities for all students to work on real-world projects with real clients. Led by professionals in the entertainment and industries, projects focus on the creation of visual effects and animations using Autodesk Maya and other industry-standard software.
Other CGT benefits include access to the Visual Effects Lab, the Digital Enterprise Center, IDEA Lab, the Games Innovation Laboratory, High Performance Computer Graphics Laboratory, and the Heavilon Lab; networking opportunities through Purdue’s ACM SIGGRAPH chapter; and training on the LightCraft Previzion System—the same visual effects system used in Hollywood productions.
Visual Effects at Purdue University is a STEM-based discipline, so students in all programs will take courses such as Physics, Trigonometry, and Calculus. The CGT programs also explore the business side of film and entertainment, so students will take courses that explore areas such as entrepreneurship, management, business writing, and marketing.
Visual effects course examples include Visual Effects Introduction; Visual Effects - Particles And Procedural Effects; Visual Effects – Pyrotechnics And Destruction Effects; Post-Production And Special Effects For Computer Animation; Motion For Computer Animation; Digital Lighting And Rendering For Computer Animation; Modeling For Entertainment Graphics; Animation For Games; Industry Applications Of Simulation And Visualization; and Production For Computer Animation.
The CGT programs at Purdue University’s Purdue Polytechnic Institute culminate with a final project and portfolio of the students best productions. Graduates enjoy a 90% job placement rate. Program alumni are routinely hired by major studios and companies such as Google, Walt Disney, and DreamWorks.
Established in 1869, Purdue University is Indiana’s only land-grant university. Also a top public research institution, Purdue opened with just six instructors and 39 students on September 16, 1874. Today, the school employs more than 10,000 full-time faculty members and employees that serve approximately 58,010 students from all 50 states and more than 120 countries. The school provides more than 400 programs across 11 colleges and schools. Purdue University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is home to the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). Founded in 1929 as the College of Liberal Arts, the CAS is BGSU’s largest college, with more than 21 departments and four schools that provide more than 100 areas of study, 25 master’s degree programs, and 12 doctoral options. Within the college is also one of the largest and oldest state art schools in Ohio—BGSU School of Art.
Established more than 75 years ago and accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), BGSU School of Art houses five divisions including Digital Arts; Studio; Art History; Graphic Design; and Art Education. Across divisions, students have opportunities to complete an internship at places such as Disney, Pixar, PBS, and American Greetings. Students may also participate in the study abroad program, with experiences in places such as Japan, France, China, and Italy.
Students in all divisions have access to three designated state-of-the-art computer labs. Housed in the Wolfe Center for the Arts, labs are outfitted with the latest industry software including Autodesk Maya and Mudbox; ZBrush; Dragonframe Stop Motion; Premiere Pro; Unity; 3D Studio Max; After Effects; Rhino 6; Photoshop; Audition; Illustrator; InDesign; and GenArts Sapphire plugins for FCP, Premiere, and After Effects.
Other facilities include the Center for Advanced Visualization and Education (CAVE) Lab; The Media Center; a production studio; painting and drawing studios; and an additional lab with access to a collaborative space for creatives known as the Digital Arts Classroom.
Specific CAS School of Art programs for visual effects artists include the BA, BFA, and MFA in Digital Arts. The College of Arts and Sciences’ Theatre and Film Department also houses a Film Production BA program.
Undergraduate Digital Arts students may specialize in Animation or Gaming and Virtual Environments. BA students may add the Film minor to enhance the degree. Students in both programs can opt for an interdisciplinary focus that will allow them to create their own area of specialization or choose an additional track in 2D and 3D Animation.
Across Digital Arts programs, students will explore special and visual effects, character design, compositing, rendering, rigging, texturing, environment design, simulations, modeling, lighting, coding, interactive art using HTML - JavaScript and Unity, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), and physical computing.
Course examples include Artistic Animation Effects; Creative Character Design; Advanced 3D Modeling; Digital Animation Studio; Digital Imaging; Advanced 3D Animation Techniques; Digital Art Development; Animation Production; 2D Digital Animation; Introduction to Gaming; and Special Topics in Digital Arts.
The Digital Arts MFA at Bowling Green State University is a flexible, two-year program that explores visualization, physical computing, virtual worlds, computer animation, gaming, hybrid media, and artificial intelligence (AI). Focus areas include Computer Animation and Video; Interactive Multimedia; Imaging; and Cross Disciplinary Study.
Students in all programs will complete a final project or thesis, along with a portfolio of their best work. Graduates go on to land positions in professions such as visual effects, interactive design, animation, and game art, design, and development.
The Film Production BA at BGSU was first established in the 1940s. This cohort program allows students to focus in visual effects through electives and minor options. Course examples include Editing – Image and Sound; Film and Digital Production; Lighting for Film and Digital; Short Narrative Production; Applied Aesthetics for Moving Image; Film and Digital Production; Directing; Cinematography; and Advanced Post Production.
Film Production BA students will also have opportunities to gain experience in their chosen focus through an internship or studio experience. Other program benefits include individual projects; faculty-supervised, department-sponsored productions; participation in research panels presented at the Annual BGSU Film and Media Festival; networking opportunities; University Film Organization (UFO) membership; and the study abroad experience with the Department of Theatre, Film, and Television at Aberystwyth University in Wales, UK.
The Film Production BA program at Bowling Green State University culminates with a capstone (film) project and a professional portfolio. Graduates are prepared to peruse careers in visual effects for animation, film, television, advertising, and more. Program alumni have been hired at places such as Disney, Netflix, Hulu, Panavision, and ABC.
Bowling Green State University was established in 1910 as a teacher-training institution. Today, the school offers more than 200 programs across six academic colleges and two campuses. BGSU also serves a large population of approximately 19,705 students from the U.S. and 77 countries. Bowling Green State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
