| Ranking | School | City | Ranking by Region | National Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas A&M University | College Station | #2 in Southwest | #13 |
| #2 | University of Texas at Dallas | Dallas | #3 in Southwest | #16 |
| #3 | Sam Houston State University | Huntsville | #4 in Southwest | Unranked |
| #4 | University of the Incarnate Word | San Antonio | Unranked | Unranked |
Our 2026 ranking, our fifteenth annual, of the top animation school programs in Texas.
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.
The College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts (PVFA) at Texas A&M University (TAMU) is one of the largest visual and performing arts colleges within a public university. This multidisciplinary school provides several paths to study animation including BS, MS, and MFA degrees in Visualization. BS students can focus in Animation Production, while MS students can select an emphasis in Computer Animation. MFA students may focus in Computer Animation, Visual Storytelling, Interactive Art, or Visual Effects. All students benefit from internship opportunities; collaborative projects; the Annual Career Fair; and the Summer Industry Workshop. Visualization graduates are routinely hired at places such as Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Electronic Arts (EA), DreamWorks Animation, Epic Games, Amazon, Reel FX, Blizzard Entertainment, and Gearbox Software.
The following factors contribute to TAMU's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 animation school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Elite Academic Peer Recognition (Tier 1)
Faculty Size: Mid-Sized Faculty (Tier 3)
Graduate Employment: Strong Employment Outcomes (Tier 2)
Admissions Selectivity: Moderately Selective (Tier 3)
Average Net Cost: Moderate Average Net Cost (Tier 3)
Student Indebtedness: Low Student Debt (Tier 2)
Graduation Rate: Strong Graduation Rate (Tier 2)
First-Year Retention Rate: Exceptional First-Year Student Retention (Tier 1)
Ranking Factor Tiers: Tier 1 represents the strongest performance and Tier 5 represents the weakest performance within each ranking factor.
The Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication (ATEC) program at University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) launched in 2002, making it the state’s first arts and technology degree. Housed in the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology (Bass School), the program leads to a BA, MA, MFA, or PhD. BA students may concentrate in Animation and Games (A&G), while MFA students may specialize in Animation or Creative Practice. Both the BA and MFA are STEM-designated. MA and PhD students may focus their studies in areas such as animation, science and technology, or games. Culminating experiences may include a capstone project, thesis, or research project with exhibition. Graduates can be found atplaces such as Pixar, Google, Activision Blizzard, Disney, LAIKA, NBCUniversal, Amazon, Gearbox Software, Microsoft, Dell, IBM, RTX, Meta, and Verizon.
The following factors contribute to University of Texas at Dallas' 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: Moderately Selective (Tier 3)
Average Net Cost: Low-mid Average Net Cost (Tier 2)
Student Indebtedness: Low Student Debt (Tier 2)
Graduation Rate: Moderate Graduation Rate (Tier 3)
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.
The College of Arts and Media at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) is home to the Department of Art. Within the department is an Animation BFA that begins the Workshop in Art Studio and History (WASH) program. To enter the major, students must pass a BFA Portfolio Review in their second year. Advanced coursework and production take place in a studio-like environment, with activities led by industry professionals. The program culminates with a professional portfolio that includes a website, digital reel, and marketing materials customized for the animation, games, and film industries. Some graduates go on to pursue graduate studies at places such as SCAD or UT Dallas. Others can be found at places such as Electronic Arts (EA), Zynga, Perkins & Will, Powerhouse Animation, and 900lbs.
The following factors contribute to SHSU's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 animation school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Strong Academic Peer Recognition (Tier 3)
Faculty Size: Mid-Sized Faculty (Tier 3)
Graduate Employment: Moderate Employment Outcomes (Tier 3)
Admissions Selectivity: Accessible (Tier 4)
Average Net Cost: Low-mid Average Net Cost (Tier 2)
Student Indebtedness: Moderate Student Debt (Tier 3)
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 and Design (SMD) at University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) houses the Department of 3D Animation and Game Design (ANGD). Within the department are three paths to study animation. Options include the 3D ANGD BFA with specializations in 3D Animation; Modeling; Game Programming; and Production Management; an ANGD minor with Programming for Games, and Production Management options; and a Master of Game Development (MGD) with an Animation track. Across programs, students benefit from small class sizes of no more than 14 students; professional internship opportunities; courses led by accomplished instructors in the animation and games industries; access to state-of-the-art production facilities; and participation in annual on-campus presentations led by film industry professionals. The 3D ANGD BFA program culminates with an animated film or game. The MGD program culminates with the Graduate Portfolio and Thesis Production courses. Across programs, graduates have been hired at places such as DreamWorks, Activision Blizzard, Disney, Sony Pictures Animation, Weta FX, Naughty Dog, BioWare, Netflix, The Third Floor, and Crystal Dynamics.
The following factors contribute to UIW's position in Animation Career Review's 2026 animation school rankings.
Academic Peer Recognition: Moderate Academic Peer Recognition (Tier 4)
Faculty Size: Mid-Sized Faculty (Tier 3)
Graduate Employment: Moderate Employment Outcomes (Tier 3)
Admissions Selectivity: Highly Accessible (Tier 5)
Average Net Cost: Moderate Average Net Cost (Tier 3)
Student Indebtedness: Substantial Student Debt (Tier 5)
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.
