| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brigham Young University | Provo |
| 2 | University of Utah | Salt Lake City |
| 3 | Utah Valley University | Orem |
Our 2025 ranking -our fourteenth annual- of the top animation school program in Utah. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
Brigham Young University (BYU) is home to one of the nation’s most competitive animation programs. Established in 2010, the BYU Center for Animation accepts just 20-25 students each year. Students my gain entrance to this closed-enrollment program through BYU’s Animation BFA program or the Computer Science BS with an Animation and Games emphasis.
Throughout the BYU Center for Animation program, students will gain hands-on experience through individual and collaborative projects; faculty mentoring; and internships with major studios such as DreamWorks, Pixar, and Disney. Students will also develop advanced design and software skills. And in the junior or senior year of the program, students can specialize in anything from 3D animation to visual effects (VFX).
Housed in the Design Department in the College of Fine Arts, the Animation BFA is a limited enrollment program that accepts just 75 students per enrollment period. In this 65 credit-hour program, students will explore areas such as 3D modeling, storyboarding, character animation, compositing, previsualization, lighting, special effects, materials/shading, technical animation, and concept art.
Course examples include Experimental Animation and Production; Visual Development; Scripting for Animation; 3D Visual Effects; Technical Animation; The Joy and Beauty of Computing; Scripting for Animation; Advanced Shading; Pitching for Film and Games; Lighting for 3D Graphics; Visual Narrative; Intermediate 3D Computer Graphics; Animated Film Production 1-3; Advanced Storyboarding; Visual Development and Character Design; Directed Studies in Animation; and Business and Ethics in Animation.
Housed in the Department of Computer Science in the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, the Computer Science BS (Animation and Games emphasis) is a limited enrollment program that accepts just 42 students per enrollment period. Consisting of 77-81.5 credit hours, the program explores animation, visual effects, software engineering, video game production, programming, computer graphics, user interfaces, and more.
Course examples for the program include Scripting for Animation; Real-Time Techniques; Animated Film Production 1-3; Materials and Surfacing; Photography for Animation; Computer Graphics; 3D Visual Effects; Previsualization; Visual Narrative; Digital Sculpting; Lighting for 3D; and Advanced Shading; and History of Animation.
The culminating experience for all programs is the Film Animation Capstone project completed across several courses. Films are submitted to national and international competitions. BYU animation students have won awards and received recognition from the Nickelodeon Film Festival; ACM Siggraph; Cannes Film Festival; the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation; Annecy Film Festival; the Electronic Entertainment Expo; and Houston WorldFest.
Graduates of the Animation programs at Brigham Young University are prepared to pursue careers in the entertainment industry, game design and development, advertising, and many others. Program alumni have been hired at places such as Disney, Nickelodeon, Pixar, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), DreamWorks, Blizzard Entertainment, Sony Pictures Animation, Hasbro, Riot Games, and Digital Domain.
Brigham Young University was founded in 1875 by Brigham Young—President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The school opened as Brigham Young Academy (BYA) on January 3, 1876. On the first day of classes, the school had just 29 students enrolled. Today, Brigham Young University serves approximately 35,745 students from more than 100 countries. Campuses include BYU-Utah, BYU-Idaho, BYU-Hawaii, BYU Pathway Worldwide, and Ensign College.
One of the largest private universities in the U.S., BYU provides approximately 435 programs across dozens of colleges and departments. Brigham Young University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
University of Utah (The U) houses the College of Fine Arts. Within the college is the Department of Film and Media Arts, which provides two paths to study animation: the Animation emphasis in the Film and Media Arts BA program and the Animation Studies minor. The BA requires 122-123 credits, with at least 39 in the emphasis. The Animation Studies minor requires a minimum of 19 credit hours, with at least 12 credit hours in animation.
Required courses for the minor include Making Movies and Introduction to Animation Techniques. Students may select one course from four drawing and mapping courses. For the remaining credits, students will select from the following courses: Introduction to 3D Animation; 3D Character Animation; Traditional Animation Production; Animation: Then, Now, and Next; Animation Film History; Japanese Anime; Storyboarding/Visual Storytelling; and Exploring Movement Through Animation. The culminating experience for the minor is an animation project.
To kick off the Film and Media Arts BA program, students will complete four courses. These include Introduction to Film and Media Arts; History of Film and Media Arts: Origins to 1952; Making Movies; and History of Film and Media Arts: 1952 to the Present. For the Animation emphasis, students must also complete Introduction to Animation Techniques; Storyboarding/Visual Storytelling; Introduction to 3D Computer Animation; and Exploring Movement through Animation.
For the remaining courses, students will select from at least 15 different courses. Examples include Contemporary Animation: The Simpsons to South Park; Digital Effects and Compositing for the Screen; Japanese Anime; 3D Character Animation; Drawing the Human Head and Hands; Traditional Animation Production; Animation: Then, Now, and Next; Digital Drawing; and Animation Film History.
All Animation students will work and learn in state-of-the-art production facilities, classrooms, and studios. Students will also have opportunities to compete an internship, participate in workshops, and attend seminars. And thanks to The U’s Learning Abroad program with University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC), Animation students have access to more than 50 programs in 26 countries.
The Film and Media Arts BA at University of Utah culminates with the Animation Project. Completed across an advanced four-credit course, the project allows students to complete an independent animated production using the techniques of their choice.
Graduates of the creative and technology programs at University of Utah have found success as animators, game artists, directors, filmmakers, advertising animators, storyboard artists, and VFX artists. Some alumni have been hired at places such as Lucasfilm and Nickelodeon. Others have gone on to launch their own studios. This includes Pixar Animation Studios, which was co-founded by University of Utah Computer Science alum Edwin Catmull.
University of Utah is the state’s flagship institution of higher learning. The school opened on February 28, 1850 as University of Deseret. Classes were held in private homes for $8 per quarter. Today, University of Utah is a Tier 1 research university that sits on 1,534 acres. The school also serves more than 36,000 students enrolled in over 200 programs across 17 colleges and schools. University of Utah is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The school is also a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU).
Utah Valley University (UVU) follows a dual-mission model that combines university and vocational community college programs. This means, UVU students have many opportunities to engage in hands-on learning at companies and studios near Utah’s tech epicenter—Silicon Slopes.
Utah Valley University is also home to Scott M. Smith College of Engineering and Technology (CET). Serving more than 6,700 students, Smith CET provides over 120 degree programs across 11 technology and other departments. Led by more than 450 faculty and staff, the Smith CET engineering programs are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET).
Among the college’s departments is the Digital Media (DGM) Department. Within the department is an Animation and Game Development program featuring courses taught by professional animators and game producers from places such as DreamWorks Animation and Electronic Arts (EA). Leading to a BS, the Animation and Game Development program also provides opportunities for students to participate in associations and Animation and Game conferences.
Examples include the Digital Animation and Games Association (DAGA); Immerse Global Summit; the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference; and the Game Developers Conference. Participation allows students to network and stay current with industry trends.
The Animation and Game Development BS has two tracks: 2D and 3D. Both options require 120 credit hours, including 35 credits in general education, 40 credits in the discipline core, and 45 credits in the track. Discipline core examples include 3D Modeling and Animation; Digital Media for Intercultural Communication; Advanced Character Rigging; Animation and Game Production Lab I-II; Animation Story Development; Digital Lecture Series; Animation I Lab; and Character Development.
Recognized as an Animation Center of Excellence by Toon Boom, the cohort-based 2D track focuses on animation, compositing, and character rigging. Course examples include Animation Essentials Lab; Digital Storyboarding; Advanced Technical Direction I-II; Concept Essentials; Technical Design and Direction; Performance Animation; Introduction to Compositing; Studio Technology Essential; and Digital Media Essentials.
The 3D track focuses on modeling, rigging, and scripting. Students in this track will take many of the same courses for the 2D track, as well as Scripting for Animation and Games I-II; Fundamentals of Programming; Game Development I-IV; and Intermediate Scripting. 3D students will produce group and individual titles throughout the program.
The culminating experience for the Animation and Game Development BS at UVU is the Senior Capstone. All students will develop real-world projects, individually and as part of a team, in consultation with a faculty advisor. This course may be repeated for a maximum of six credits towards graduation.
Graduates of the Animation and Game Development BS program at Utah Valley University are prepared to pursue roles in all areas of animation, game design and development, television production, film and video, user interface and user experience (UI/UX) design, advertising, social media, architecture, graphic design, science, aerospace, medicine, legal, government, health, education, and research.
Program alumni have been hired at places such as Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Amazon, Gearbox Software, Northrop Grumman, Tektonux, and ArenaNet.
Utah Valley University has an additional option for students who would like to pursue a career that combines animation and illustration. The UVU Art and Design BFA, with an emphasis in Illustration, is part of the School of Art, which is one of the largest art and design schools in the state.
The BFA program provides opportunities to intern with places such as Paramount Studios, the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (Utah MOCA), and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met). BFA students also have opportunities to compete for international internships that may take them to places such as South Korea, Italy, the UK, and Germany.
Consisting of 120 credit hours, the UVU Art and Design BFA allows students to focus in an additional area of interest through electives. Course examples include 2D Animation for Illustration; Advanced Rendering of Forms and Surfaces; Sequential Animation; Character Design; Digital Illustration; 3D Texturing and Rendering; and Environment Design.
Discipline core and emphasis requirements also include animation and related courses such as Illustrative Media Techniques I-II; 3D Modeling; Advanced Illustration; 2D and 3D Design; Figure Drawing I-III; Conceptual Illustration; Computer Graphics; Imagination and Visual Literacy; and Narrative Illustration.
The Art and Design BFA at UVU culminates with the BFA Project, completed across two semesters. Final projects will be presented at the Student Art Show and Exhibition. Graduates are prepared to pursue positions at animation studios, game design companies, film studios, advertising agencies, television production studios, marketing firms, publishing companies, magazines, graphic design firms, and in-house art and design departments.
Some UVU Art and Design alumni also go on to launch their own studios or freelance businesses, while others go on to pursue graduate studies at UVU and other major universities.
Utah Valley University was established in 1941 as Central Utah Vocational School (CUVS). When it launched, the school’s primary function was to provide war production training. Today, UVU provides more than 300 different degree and certificate options across eight colleges and schools. The school also serves a record 47,400 students, making it the largest public university in the state. Utah Valley University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
