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What are the best animation school programs in Oklahoma for 2026?
| Ranking | School | City | Ranking by Region | National Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Oklahoma City University | Oklahoma City | Unranked | Unranked |
| #2 | Oklahoma Christian University | Oklahoma City | Unranked | Unranked |
Our 2026 ranking -our fifteenth annual- of the top animation school programs in Oklahoma.
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.
1. Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
The Game Design and Animation BA (GDA BA) program at Oklahoma City University (OCU) is the only program of its kind to award a $24,000 scholarship to every student accepted. Housed in the School of Visual and Media Arts (SVMA), the GDA BA also highlights hands-on training through professional internships. Students have interned at places such as Bloomberg, ARTSPACE at United, Fox 25, VGM Visual Storytelling, The Journal Record, and Oklahoma Today. Other program features include courses taught by industry professionals; dedicated labs; a motion-capture studio; and study abroad experiences in places such as Tokyo, Madrid, and the Netherlands. The culminating experience for the program is the Senior Capstone and Exhibition. Graduates are prepared to pursue roles at places such as Riot Games, Disney, CBS Interactive, Epic Games, Apple, ESPN, Allied Arts, and Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma City University — Ranking Factors
The following factors contribute to OCU's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 animation school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Moderate Academic Peer Recognition (Tier 4)
Faculty Size: Compact Faculty (Tier 5)
Graduate Employment: Limited Employment Outcomes (Tier 5)
Admissions Selectivity: Accessible (Tier 4)
Average Net Cost: Moderate Average Net Cost (Tier 3)
Student Indebtedness: Moderate Student Debt (Tier 3)
Graduation Rate: Fair Graduation Rate (Tier 4)
First-Year Retention Rate: Strong First-Year Student Retention (Tier 2)
Ranking Factor Tiers: Tier 1 represents the strongest performance and Tier 5 represents the weakest performance within each ranking factor.
2. Oklahoma Christian University, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma Christian University (OC) provides several paths to study animation including a Gaming and Animation BFA; the Gaming and Animation BS; a Computer Science (CS) BS with Gaming and Animation; and the 3D Modeling and Animation minor. All programs focus on career training through hands-on projects, immersive curriculums, and professional internships. Students also have access to Cox Digital Art Lab; Sparks Advanced Visualization Lab; Baugh Motion Capture Lab; and Kicker Audio Lab. The BA, BFA, and BS programs culminate with the Gaming and Animation Capstone. Graduates go on to secure positions at places such as Pixar, Microsoft Gaming, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), DreamWorks, Boeing, Amazon, Sony, Lockheed Martin, Gearbox Software, ArenaNet, Tektonux, and Northrop Grumman.
Oklahoma Christian University — Ranking Factors
The following factors contribute to OC's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 animation school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Moderate Academic Peer Recognition (Tier 4)
Faculty Size: Compact Faculty (Tier 5)
Graduate Employment: Fair Employment Outcomes (Tier 4)
Admissions Selectivity: Highly Accessible (Tier 5)
Average Net Cost: Moderate Average Net Cost (Tier 3)
Student Indebtedness: Elevated Student debt (Tier 4)
Graduation Rate: Low Graduation Rate (Tier 5)
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.