| Ranking | School | City | Ranking by Region | National Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Minneapolis College of Art and Design | Minneapolis | #4 in Midwest | #24 |
| #2 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | Moorhead | #22 in Midwest | Unranked |
Our 2026 ranking -our fifteenth annual- of the top animation school programs in Minnesota.
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.
Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) provides several paths to study animation. Options include the Animation BFA; Animation minor; and Visual Studies MFA. Graduate students may pursue creative work in areas such as animation, comic arts, film/video, illustration, or interactive design. All students have opportunities to intern at Nickelodeon, MTV, or MASS MoCA, among others. Study abroad experiences in places such as Japan and the UK are also on the menu. Degree programs culminate with a project and presentation or exhibition. MCAD graduates have been hired at places such as Walt Disney Animation Studios, Electronic Arts (EA), Apple, Nickelodeon, MTV, Nike, and Walker Art Center.
The following factors contribute to Minneapolis College of Art and Design's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 animation school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Excellent Academic Peer Recognition (Tier 2)
Faculty Size: Large Faculty (Tier 2)
Graduate Employment: Strong Employment Outcomes (Tier 2)
Admissions Selectivity: Selective (Tier 2)
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 Media Arts, Design and Entertainment at Minnesota State University Moorhead (Minnesota State Moorhead) houses an Animation BFA program that provides the opportunity to work with student-run Dragon Entertainment Group. With a core consisting of 54 credit hours, the program explores 2D and 3D animation, game graphics and 3D simulations, stop-motion animation, and technical graphics. Other program benefits include field trips to studios, festivals, museums, and professional conferences; internships; study abroad at the University of Lincoln (UK); participation in the Anime Club; one-on-one mentorship; and engagement with community partners such Habitat for Humanity, F/M Opera, and the Minnesota State Historical Society. The program culminates with a capstone and public presentation. Animation alumni have been hired at places such as Disney, Noble Knight Games, YouTube, Nokia, EIS Digital Publishing, Smithsonian Institution, North Star Imaging, and Show Low TV.
The following factors contribute to Minnesota State University Moorhead's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 animation school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Moderate Academic Peer Recognition (Tier 4)
Faculty Size: Small Faculty (Tier 4)
Graduate Employment: Fair Employment Outcomes (Tier 4)
Admissions Selectivity: Moderately Selective (Tier 3)
Average Net Cost: Low-mid Average Net Cost (Tier 2)
Student Indebtedness: Low Student Debt (Tier 2)
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.
