| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah |
| 2 | Kennesaw State University | Kennesaw |
| 3 | Georgia Southern University | Statesboro |
Our 2025 ranking -our fourteenth annual- of the top animation school programs in Georgia. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) operates the world’s largest university-run film festival. With attendance exceeding 63,000 annually, the eight-day Savannah Film Festival has welcomed Academy Award-winning guest speakers such as Mahershala Ali, Holly Hunter, and Jeremy Irons, along with directors such as Oliver Stone and Christopher Miller. All SCAD students may participate in the festival, which also features workshops, lectures, and networking opportunities.
SCAD students also have access to nearly one million square feet of dedicated film and television production space including Savannah Film Studios—one of the largest university film studios in the U.S.; the 65,000 square feet SCAD Digital Media Center; Lucas Theatre for the Arts; and the 82,000 square feet SCAD Museum of Art. Built on a historical site, the museum hosts exhibitions, screenings in an onsite theater, and master classes with industry professionals and visiting artists.
Savannah College of Art and Design is also home to the School of Animation and Motion. Serving approximately 1,985 students, the school’s Animation program has BFA, MA, and MFA pathways. In addition to access to all SCAD facilities, the Animation program provides 24/7 access to more than 800 networked computers; instruction by artists from major studios and productions such as Ice Age, Pocahontas, and The Lion King; and the opportunity to participate in SCAD Study Abroad in Lacoste, France.
The Animation BFA program at Savannah College of Art and Design provides the opportunity to enroll in Gradpath@SCAD. This unique program allows students to earn a BFA/MA or BFA/MFA at an accelerated pace. Students in the BFA/MA program may complete this combined degree in less than four years. The BFA/MFA can be completed in five years or less.
The 180 credit-hour Animation BFA is available at SCAD’s Atlanta and Savannah campuses. The major curriculum for the program consists of 80 credit hours, including concentrations in 2D Animation; 3D Character Animation; Technical Animation; and Storytelling and Concept Development. Students will take 15 credit hours of free electives. To enhance the degree, the program allows for a minor.
Ideal minors that complement the program include Character Technical Direction; Motion Media Design; Visual Effects (VFX); Illustration for Entertainment; and Technical Direction.
Across concentrations, Animation BFA students can expect to take courses such as Inventing Environments; Reading Films; Digital Communication; Visual Culture in Context: Making Modernities; Storyboarding Essentials; Collaborative Experiences in the School of Animation and Motion; 3D Character Animation: Creatures and Quadrupeds; Collaborative Experiences: 2D Production Pipeline; Story and Concept: Animation Character and Creature Design; Technical Animation: Digital Modeling for Environments and Props; and Story and Concept: Visual Design and World Building.
Each student in the SCAD Animation BFA program will complete three capstone courses including Animated Capstone Film Preproduction, Production, and Postproduction. An optional internship is also part of the program.
The Animation MA and MFA programs at Savannah College of Art and Design require the successful completion of 45 and 90 credit hours, respectively. The MA is available at the Savannah campus and online through SCADnow. The MFA can be completed at the Atlanta and Savannah campuses, and via SCADnow.
MA students have access to courses such as 3D Naturalistic Character Animation; Computer-Generated Modeling and Design; Drawing in Motion; Animation Aesthetics and Practice; 3D Cartoon Character Animation; and Environment Look Development. Students have the option to complete a graduate internship.
The culminating experience for the SCAD MA program is the School of Animation and Motion MA Final Project. During the experience, students propose, develop, and execute a project that will become a permanent part of their professional reel.
The Animation MFA at Savannah College of Art and Design consists of a mandatory teaching or field assignment. This supervised graduate internship consists of 15 credit hours. MFA students will also complete mandatory courses such as Media Theory and Application; Animation Aesthetics and Practice; Storyboarding and Previsualization; Drawing in Motion; and Computer-Generated Modeling and Design. Completion of at least seven 500- to 700-level electives is also part of the program.
The culminating experience for the SCAD MFA Animation program is the Animation MFA Thesis consisting of three courses including Exploration and Research; Visual Component Production; and Completion.
Graduates of the Animation programs at Savannah College of Art and Design are prepared to pursue titles such as 2D Animator, 3D Animator, Digital Modeler, Storyboard Artist, Character FX Artist, Lighting Director, Animation Producer, Character FX Technical Director, and many other leadership roles.
Major studios and networks routinely hire SCAD Animation alumni. Examples include Cartoon Network, Electronic Arts (EA), Pixar, Sony Pictures Imageworks, 20th Century Fox, Epic Games, Walt Disney Animation Studios, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, Lucasfilm Animation, and Xbox Game Studios.
Savannah College of Art and Design opened its doors in the renovated Savannah Volunteer Guards Armory in September 1979. The school launched with one classroom and an administration building (Poetter Hall), 11 faculty, and just 71 students. Today, across campuses in Atlanta, Savannah, and Lacoste, France, SCAD serves more than 17,500 students from more than 120 countries and all 50 states.
With more than 100 programs leading to a degree, and over 75 minors and certificate programs, Savannah College of Art and Design has more academic options than any other art and design college in the U.S. Savannah College of Art and Design is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), and the National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB).
Kennesaw State University (KSU) is home to the Robert S. Geer Family College of the Arts (GCA). With state-of-the-art studios, galleries, and classrooms, the GCA provides degree programs in the art, design, dance, theater, and performance fields. GCA programs are housed across the School of Art and Design (SOAAD); Bailey School of Music; the Department of Dance; and the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies.
The SOAAD serves more than 1,200 students enrolled in BFA and MA programs accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Across programs, students will work and learn in the SOAAD’s Chastain Pointe Facility along with new computer studios in the Visual Arts Building, and other creative spaces. BFA and MFA students also benefit from access to the Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art.
A unit of the SOAAD, the museum highlights education and professional development through workshops and other activities. Zuckerman Museum also features faculty, student, and alumni projects.
The School of Art and Design at Kennesaw State University also provides two paths to study animation including a Digital Animation BFA and the Art and Design MA (MAAD). The 120 credit-hour BFA focuses on traditional animation; 2D animation; motion graphics; 3D animation, and stop motion. Course examples include Foundation Animation; 2D Design and Color Theory; Character Development; Environments for Animation; 3D Design; Storyboarding and Composition; Digital Animation Production; Rigging and Performance; Computer Applications in Art; and Electronic Illustration.
In the last two terms of the program students will have the opportunity to complete an art internship, along with the Senior Animation Reel course, which focuses developing resumes, researching the job market, and finalizing a professional animation reel. Graduates are prepared to pursue advanced roles in animation, game art and design, television and film, graphic design, and advertising, among others.
The Art and Design MA at KSU is an interdisciplinary, 30 credit hour program with concentrations in Digital Animation; Art Education; and Museum Studies. Delivered 100% online, the Digital Animation concentration explores storyboarding; frame-to-frame animation; digital media including visual development for films and games; and rigged animation.
Course examples for the program include Technologies, Innovation, and Design Thinking; Creative Problems in Digital Animation I-II; Research for Commercial Creatives; Context, Culture, and Contemporary Practices; and Emoting and Communication for Creatives.
The MAAD program culminates with a final project or thesis. These culminating experiences require two courses each, totaling six credit hours.
The Art and Design MA program at Kennesaw State University may be completed in just one year. Graduates are prepared to launch their own studios, start a freelance career, or pursue leadership roles in areas such as animation, games, digital design, interactive art, advertising, research, education, and emerging fields for animators such as augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), AI integration, medical animation, motion graphics for Social Media, and animation for the Internet of Things (IoT).
Across all KSU programs, alumni have been hired at places such as The Walt Disney Company, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Dell, Lockheed Martin, Target, Cox Communications, Delta Airlines, Verizon, the Atlanta Braves, Cisco, CVS Health, Cognizant, Piedmont Healthcare, and State Farm Insurance.
Serving more than 47,000 students, Kennesaw State University is the third largest university in Georgia. Founded in 1963 as Kennesaw Junior College, this Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2) provides more than 190 degree and certificate programs across 11 colleges and two campuses. Kennesaw State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
The Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art (BFSDoArt) at Georgia Southern University (Georgia Southern), provides three paths to study animation. Options include the BA in Art with a concentration in Studio Art; an Art BFA with an Animation concentration; and the Animation and New Media minor. As part of the Georgia Southern College of Arts and Humanities, all programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
The Animation and New Media minor is a unique program that allows students to participate in the Animation UK Summer Abroad in Sheffield, UK. Open to BA and BFA students as well, this summer abroad experience includes a studio course in animation with projects that explore storytelling, virtual lighting and cameras, 2D animation, sound, character development, and web streaming. The studio course culminates with a collaborative exhibition of student animation projects in a gallery in Sheffield.
The BFSDoArt Animation and New Media minor includes the following courses: Animation I-II; Video and Motion Graphics; Installation and Interactivity; and 3D Animation. The minor is open to students in all majors. However, the program is ideal for students in Film and Media Production; Art-Studio Art; Multimedia Production; and interdisciplinary studies.
The Art BA at Georgia Southern University is a broad degree that highlights hands-on learning across the visual arts. Students can enhance the degree through electives and by adding the Animation and New Media minor. Note that the art BA does have a minor requirement. Course examples for the Studio Art concentration within the Art BA program include Animation I; Introduction to Photography; 3D-Digital Fabrication and Technology; Drawing II-Expression; and Introduction to Painting.
BA students will also compete field study requirements including Art History I-II; Drawing-Observation; 2D-Design and Color Theory; 3D-Form and Space; and 2D-Digital Applications and Technology. The Art BA requires 124 credit hours, including the culminating, year-long, three-credit Senior Practicum (Capstone).
The Georgia Southern Art BFA requires 57 credit hours in the Animation concentration. General electives allow students to enhance the degree. Course examples for the program include Introduction to Cinema; Animation I; Digital Storytelling; Concept Development in Animation; Adapting Stories in Film and Media; 2D Rigging and Puppet Animation; Creativity Methods for Writers; 3D Animation; Modern Art; 3D Modeling and Animation; Materials and Making; and Introduction to Photography.
BFA students will complete the Senior Practicum and the culminating Artist in Studio (Capstone). Graduates of the Art and Studio Art programs at Georgia Southern University are prepared to pursue positions in the entertainment industry, game design, advertising, and across the visual arts.
Georgia Southern BFSDoArt alumni have been hired at places such as Universal Studios, the Walt Disney Company, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), The Art Institutes, MDG New Media, OneKreate, High Museum, Guardian Projects, Telfair Museums, and Asia Society.
Serving approximately 27,505 students, Georgia Southern University is the largest center of higher education south of Atlanta. Established in 1906, this public institution provides more than 150 accredited programs across 10 colleges and schools, and three campuses (Statesboro, Savannah, and Hinesville, Georgia). Georgia Southern University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
