| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Istituto Europeo di Design | Milan |
| 2 | Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti | Rome |
| 3 | Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia | Rome |
For an explanation of our ranking criteria, click here.
Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) is a Toon Boom, Adobe, and Wacom partner that provides several paths to study animation. Undergraduate options include BA degrees in Illustration and Animation, and CG Animation and Game Design. Graduate options include a Master in Animation Design. Across programs, students will work on projects with IED partners such as Grangel studio; participate in workshops in Florence; and complete an internship or other experiential learning activity. Programs culminate with a short film and portfolio.
Graduates have secured positions at places such as Ubisoft, Lightbox Animation Studios, Rainbow CGI, Leo Burnett Worldwide, Skydance Animation, Saatchi & Saatchi, Maga Animation Studio, Milestone, Reply Game Studios, Ogilvy, The SPA Studios, Digital Angels, Hampa Studio, Lucky Red, Sky and Caffeina.
The Department of Design and Applied Arts at Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti (NABA) is a Toon Boom Center of Excellence, Houdini Certified School, and Unreal Academic Partner. Within the department is a Film and Animation BA that allows students to specialize in Animation or Filmmaking. Students benefit from partnerships with places such as Disney, Cisco, Novartis, Lego, and Next Media Labs; access to state-of-the-art production facilities; and internship opportunities. The program culminates with an industry-ready animated production. Graduates can be found at places such as Disney, Ubisoft, Publicis Sapient, Next Media Lab, Notorious Pictures, Studio Azzurro, Fremantle Italia, and Mediaset.
Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia (CSC) is the oldest film school in Western Europe. The Animation Department here is one of the world's most selective, accepting just 6-8 students per class. Leading to a diploma (equivalent to a BA), the program is industry focused, with links to Cartoon Network, Toon Boom, and Netflix, among others. Other program highlights include an three-year accelerated format; access to state-of-the-art production facilities; individual and collaborative projects; courses, workshops, and seminars led by professionals in the animation industry; internship opportunities; and the chance to work for CSC's in-house production company. The program culminates with a market-ready animated film.
Before graduation, student films have won the Annecy Cristal; received recognition at the Student Academy Awards; and been featured at film festivals such as Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) and Hiroshima Animation Season (HAS). Graduates have been hired at places such as Disney, Cartoon Network, Aardman, 34BigThings, Passion Pictures, Mad Entertainment, DogHead Animation, Studio Bozzetto, and Aristocrat Interactive.
