| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma City University | Oklahoma City |
| 2 | Oklahoma Christian University | Oklahoma City |
Our 2025 ranking -our fourteenth annual- of the top animation school programs in Oklahoma. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
Oklahoma City University (OCU) is home to a Game Design and Animation BA (GDA BA) that awards a $24,000 scholarship to every student accepted into the program. This is in addition to academic scholarships ranging from $8,000-$13,000 per year.
Housed in the Petree College of Arts and Sciences’ School of Visual and Media Arts (SVMA), the program emphasizes hands-on training through internships. Past OCU GDA BA students have interned at places such as Fox 25, Bloomberg, VGM Visual Storytelling, Oklahoma Today, The Journal Record, and ARTSPACE at Untitled.
The Game Design and Animation BA at Oklahoma City University requires 124 credit hours of study consisting of general education, foundation studies, and major coursework. Course examples include 3D Modeling and Animation; Motion Graphics; Illustration; Concept Development; Foundations in Design; Animation Principles; Texturing, Rendering, and Lighting; Digital Sculpting; and Drawing II.
All students will also complete the Game Design and Animation Studio I-II courses; the Digital Portfolio and Self-Branding course; and the culminating Senior Capstone and Exhibition.
Graduates of the OCU Game Design and Animation BA program are prepared to pursue roles in areas such as animated filmmaking, game art and design, interactive storytelling, live-action filmmaking, visual effects (VFX), television production, visualization, simulation, architecture, publishing, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), advertising, medical animation, graphic design, and illustration.
Possible job titles include Animator, Character Designer, Game Artist, Television Graphic Artist, Medical Animator, Storyboard Artist, Character Rigger, Environmental Concept Artist, Creative Director, Military Simulation Artist, Advertising Animator, Architectural Rendering Specialist, 3D Modeler, Scientific Visualization Artist, Cartoonist, Multimedia Artist, and Cinematographer.
Oklahoma City University was established on September 1, 1904 as Epworth University. The school opened with 116 students in a single all-purpose building. Today, OCU serves more than 2,900 students on a 104-acre campus in the heart of Oklahoma City. The school provides more than 90 undergraduate and graduate degree programs across eight colleges and schools. Oklahoma City University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Oklahoma Christian University (OC) provides programs that focus on career training through immersive curriculums, hands-on projects, and professional internships. For aspiring animators, the school provides several paths. For creatives seeking an art-based program, OC has Gaming and Animation BA and BFA degrees. Students seeking a technology-based degree can choose between the Gaming and Animation BS and the Computer Science (CS) BS with Gaming and Animation.
For students in these and other majors such as Digital Design and Graphic Design, Oklahoma Christian University has a 21 credit hour 3D Modeling and Animation minor that explores motion graphics, lighting, game technology, modeling, animation, rendering, and texturing. Course examples include Animation Principles; 3D Modeling and Animation I-II; Motion Graphics; Texturing, Rendering, and Lighting; and Introduction to Game Technology.
The 3D Modeling and Animation minor prepares students for entry-level positions in the entertainment and games industries.
All OC Animation programs provide access to the Cox Digital Art Lab; Sparks Advanced Visualization Lab; Baugh Motion Capture Lab; and Kicker Audio Lab. Across programs, courses are led by accomplished professionals in the animation, games, and technology industries. Course examples for the Gaming and Animation BA/BFA programs include Motion Imagery; Gaming and Animation Studio; Texturing, Rendering, and Lighting; History of Animation; 3D Modeling and Animation; Technology for Graphics; Interactive Media Design; History of Photography and Motion Pictures; Contemporary Art; Animation Principles; Digital Sculpting; Team Game Production; and Gaming and Animation Studio.
The OC BA and BFA programs require 126 credit hours to graduate. For the BA, this includes six credit hours of the same foreign language, and 51 credit hours in the major. For the BFA, this includes three credit hours in Management, and 72 hours in the major.
The Gaming and Animation BA and BFA programs at Oklahoma Christian University require successful completion of the Gaming and Animation Capstone. Graduates of both programs are prepared to pursue careers in animation, game art and design, television production, film, and visual effects (VFX).
The OC Gaming and Animation BS programs require many of the same courses for the BA and BFA options. Both BS programs also have overlapping coursework. Students in the BS program will complete programming coursework such as Programming I, II and Languages; Game Programming-Unity and Unreal; and Software Engineering - Practices, Tools, Ethics, and Projects. Students will also complete coursework in technical writing, math, and business. Both BS and CS BS students may enhance the degree by selecting electives in an additional specialized area. Examples include Audio for Gaming, Illustration, and Digital Painting.
The culminating experience for the Gaming and Animation BS programs is the Gaming and Animation Capstone. Non-CS students will also complete The Business of Branding Yourself or Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management course. Graduates of the Oklahoma Christian University BS programs are prepared to pursue careers in animation, film production, game design and development, computer science, healthcare, architecture, healthcare, education, research, and life sciences.
Oklahoma Christian University was established in 1950 as Central Christian College. When it opened, the school has just 97 students. Today, OC serves 2,750 students enrolled in nearly 100 programs and areas of study across five colleges and 14 academic departments. Oklahoma Christian University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
