| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Willamette University | Salem and Portland |
| 2 | Western Oregon University | Monmouth |
| 3 | George Fox University | Newberg |
Our 2025 ranking -our fourteenth annual- of the top animation school programs in Oregon. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
Willamette University (WU or Willamette) is home to Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA), which provides art and design minors and programs leading to a bachelor’s or master’s degree. For animators, the school houses an Animated Arts BFA that requires 121 credit hours of study completed over four years. An Animated Arts minor is also available.
Students in both programs have access to state-of-the art animation facilities such as the Animated Arts Lab; digital animation and 2D animation workstations; and the Stop Motion/3D Animation Suite. Other BFA program benefits include participation in on-campus workshops and visiting artist talks; seminars; opportunities to work on projects for real clients; studio electives and other course options that allow students to customize their experience; and professional internships.
BFA students have completed internships or projects with places such as LAIKA Studios, Nike, Wieden+Kennedy, Adidas, the NW International Animation Festival, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), Design Week Portland, Tin House, the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC), Ziba, and the Oregon Jewish Museum.
All PNCA BFA students also have opportunities to study abroad through the short-term Global Studios programs and the semester-long Exchange program. Students study in places such as the UK, Norway, Switzerland, Malaysia, Iceland, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Mexico, and Ireland.
In the first year of the Animated Arts BFA program at WU PNCA, take six credit hours of Art History courses along with beginning and intermediate art and design coursework. Examples include Exploring Visual Culture; First Year Seminar; Visual Elements – 2D; Time Arts; and Drawing 1.
Upon completion of the first year, students take courses such as Animation I – Materials, Methods and Motion; Visual Elements; Character and Identity; Stop Motion; Puppet Fabrication; Digital Tools; 3D Design; Animation II - Hybrid Moving Image; Perspectives on Society and Culture; and History of Animation.
In the third and fourth years, students will take advanced major courses such as Animated Installation; Narrative Strategies; Animated Documentary; Social Science Seminar; Research for Creative Practice; Media Arts Professional Practices; Project Incubator; and Animated Short Film
The Animated Arts BFA program at Pacific Northwest College of Art culminates with the Thesis, completed across two courses. Thesis projects will be produced in collaboration with a mentor, classmates, and faculty. Graduates of the program are prepared to pursue titles such as Animator, Visual Development Artist, Compositor, Effects Animator, Character Designer, Storyboard Artist, Modeler, and Art Director.
WU PNCA alumni have worked with (or on campaigns for) clients such as The Jim Henson Company, Disney, Adult Swim, Viceland, Microsoft, Google, Samsung, Netflix, Legoland, IBM, MSNBC, Adobe, Nike, Adidas, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Herman Miller, Meta, Xbox, Lexus, NBC, the LA Times, Airbus Group, and the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA).
Founded in 1842, Willamette University is the oldest university in the West. This private liberal arts college serves approximately 1,870 students enrolled in 17 degree and joint degree programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Law, Pacific Northwest College of Art, and the Atkinson Graduate School of Management.
Willamette University and Pacific Northwest College of Art merged in 2021. PNCA, which remains an independent college within Willamette, was established in 1909. Serving approximately 480 students, the school provides 10 undergraduate majors in art and design, 10 minors, and six graduate degrees in PNCA’s Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies, and one post-baccalaureate program.
Willamette University and Pacific Northwest College of Art are accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). PNCA is also a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD) and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU).
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) at Western Oregon University (WOU) houses eight distinct divisions. Among them is the Division of Creative Arts—home to the Art and Design Department. Within the department are three paths to study animation including the Creative Production BA; the Visual Communication Design BA; and the Film Studies minor.
Across programs, students have access to state-of-the-art facilities including Art and Design Digital Labs; the Q-Loop and Video Production Learning Lab; high-tech classrooms; and Studio 230 and Recording Lab. Degree-seeking students also have opportunities to complete an internship and/or study abroad experience; participate in student clubs and organizations; and exhibit work at Western Oregon University’s Dan and Gail Cannon Gallery of Art.
The Creative Production BA is a multidisciplinary, collaborative program that requires 73 credit hours in the major including core, coding or web design, and electives. Core, coding, and web design course examples for the program include Beginning Digital Art and Design; Video; Art and Design for the Internet; Perl Programming; Introduction to Multimedia Programming; Music Performance – Audio Production; JavaScript; Integrating Writing and Design; Digital Images and Photography I; and Networks.
For electives, students may choose 14 credits, including 10 from upper division options. Examples include Animation; Digital Illustration; Scriptwriting; Art and Technology Workshop; Design Aesthetics; Advertising and Society; Music Media Production I-III; Acting for The Camera; Interactive Media – Applied; Lighting Design; Art and Design for the Internet; and Introduction to Film.
The culminating experience for the program is the Creative Production Capstone completed across three terms in collaboration with a faculty mentor.
The Visual Communication Design BA at Western Oregon University explores media, design, and technology. Consisting of 84 credit hours in the major, the program allows students to select 20 elective credits to enhance the degree, which provides opportunities to take animation courses. The core for the program also includes animation coursework. Core course examples include Beginning Digital Art and Design; Art and Design for the Internet; Beginning Design – Two-Dimensional; Video; Creativity and Idea Generation; Beginning Design - Three-Dimensional; and Digital Images and Photography I.
Elective examples include Animation; Illustration – Technique and Narrative; Art and Technology Workshop; Digital Illustration; Interactive Media – Contemporary Issues; Digital Images and Photography II; Practicum; Advanced Topics in Graphic Design and Communication; and Digital Drawing from Observation.
The WOU Visual Communication Design BA culminates with the Portfolio and Professional Preparation course worth four credits. This capstone experience includes an oral presentation of each student’s portfolio.
The Film Studies minor at Western Oregon University is a 27 credit hour program that allows students to select from two tracks: Production or Application and Analysis. The Production track is ideal for animators. Course examples include Animation; Scriptwriting; Creating Documentary and Digital Films; Digital Music Production; Film History and Technique; Acting I-II; Video; and Advanced Lighting Design. Students will complete a final project as the culminating experience for the program.
Graduates of the Creative Production and Visual Communication Design programs at Western Oregon University are prepared to pursue careers in animation for film, television, and games; and animation for multimedia; animation for advertising and marketing; architectural animation; animation for visualization and simulation; forensic, scientific, and medical animation; and animation for education and job training. Program alumni have been hired at places such as Disney, Pixar, and the Oregonian.
Western Oregon University was founded in 1856 making it the state’s oldest public university. Formerly Monmouth University, WOU serves approximately 3,950 students enrolled in more than 100 programs across two campuses (Monmouth and Salem, Oregon), the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the College of Education. Western Oregon University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
George Fox University houses a Cinematic Arts BA program that allows student to specialize in Animation or Film and Video Production. Across programs, students have the unique opportunity to spend a semester in Hollywood through the LA Film Studies Center (LAFSC). This partnership between Olivet Nazarene University and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) is open to all upper-division students who qualify and are accepted.
The program takes students to Burbank, California to live and work near major production studios for a full semester. Students will attend seminars, take courses, and complete an internship in the film industry. Led by industry professionals from places such as NBCUniversal Universal and Apple TV+, LAFSC courses are typically held on real studio lots.
Courses examples include Professional Screenwriting; Narrative Storytelling; and Faith and Artistic Development. Examples of places where LAFSC students have interned include Anaheim Studios, The Geena Davis Institute, Butter, HollyShorts Film Festival, AbelCine, and Hollywood Prayer Network.
In addition to the LAFSC, BA students have opportunities to travel to Utah to screen films and learn about independent filmmaking at Sundance Film Festival in Park City. During the festival, students will also have the opportunity to participate in the Windrider Forum organized by the Fuller Theological Seminary. The forum explores faith and film.
Other BA program benefits include small class sizes; access to state-of the-art production facilities, labs, and studios in the Cinematic Arts Building; internship opportunities (in addition to LAFSC) in Oregon and across the region; hands-on projects and courses; and the chance to present works at the Annual Fox Film Festival in Newberg.
All Cinematic Arts BA students will complete the George Fox Cornerstone Core, which consists of 12 courses (37 credit hours) across 10 academic disciplines. This general education requirement consists of courses such as Art and Global Culture - Visual Art; Faith and Story; Communication in Society; Art and Global Culture – Performing Art; The Modern and Postmodern World; and Caring for Words. Upon completion of the Core, students will begin taking courses in the concentration and others.
The Animation concentration requires 27 credit hours of study, while the Film and Video Production concentration requires 24. Examples of common courses include Introduction to Animation; Motion Graphics and Visual Effects; Computer Animation I-II; Storyboarding and Concept Design; 3D Computer Animation I-II; Camera and Lighting; and Advanced Production Workshop I or II.
All George Fox Cinematic Arts students will study film history and cinematographic theory; learn about cinematic camera movement and filming techniques; design projects with virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and emerging technologies; write an original script for a television series, short, or feature film; create film sound effects; edit for television and film; and direct actors and crewmembers.
Throughout the program students will complete a series of professional 10- to 30-minute animated, narrative, and documentary shorts for film festival submissions and their final portfolios.
Graduates of the Cinematic Arts BA program at George Fox University are prepared to pursue titles such as Animator, Screenwriter, Storyboard Artist, Special Effects Editor, Game Artist, UX/UI Designer, VFX Artist, Director, Sound Editor, Motion Graphics Artist, and Independent Filmmaker. Program alumni have worked on shows such as Portlandia, Grimm, and The Librarians, to name a few.
George Fox University serves approximately 4,330 students, making it the largest private university in Oregon. Founded in 1891, the school operates across four campuses in Newberg (main), Portland, Salem, and Redmond, Oregon. Programs include more than 60 options leading to a bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate, minor, or certificate. The school also provides accelerated online bachelor’s degree programs across seven majors. George Fox University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
