| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Idaho | Moscow |
Our 2021 ranking -our tenth annual rankings- of the top animation school program in Idaho. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
Founded in 1889, University of Idaho (U of I) serves close to 11,000 students across five campuses in Moscow, Boise, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Falls, and Twin Falls. The school offers 93 undergraduate majors and 58 graduate majors in 10 colleges. The College of Art and Architecture offers a four-year BS in Virtual Technology and Design (VTD) that the school says teaches students to create virtual technologies for animated films, gaming, simulations, business and education, and other applications “while studying art and design, computer science, animation, storytelling and much more.”
Course highlights for the program include Advanced Character Design, Advanced Modeling, Advanced Interactive Technologies, Advanced Lighting and Materials, Cross-Reality Technology, Drawing as Design Thinking, Integrated Design Process, Interactive Technologies, Lighting and Materials, Virtual Design, Virtual Reality, Virtual World Building, and Visual Effects. Students may choose a number of directed electives, which allows them to develop an emphasis area or breadth in a supporting discipline.
The program culminates in the Senior Capstone Studio and Senior Experience. Students will leave the program with “valuable practical experience” and an “established portfolio of personal design work.” Graduates are prepared to seek positions in animation and game design, film, advertising, digital art, motion graphics, and more.
