Best 2D Animation Schools in the World 2022
2022 Update! The Best 2D Animation Schools and Colleges in the World. Find the best places to learn and become industry ready.
Since 2011, The Rookies has been supplying reliable performance information about colleges and universities to students, their families, academics, university leaders, governments, and business. The results for 2022 are based on a staggering 58,443 portfolio reviews, completed by a team of over 150+ industry professionals.
The Rookies World School Rankings® are not like other education based ranking systems. They are driven and judged by industry professionals without the interference of paid advertising dollars that cloud the judgement of other ranking sites.
• Scott Thompson, founder of Think Tank Training Centre.
We feel that traditional school rankings – that include peer and employer reviews, faculty-to-student ratio, citations and other data – are not adequate when ranking creative schools. This might work in industries with more traditional career paths, but when it comes to technical and creative roles things are much more complicated, and we need to take a different approach.
Our answer to this is quite arduous, but very accurate. The process involves reviewing thousands of digital portfolios from graduating students. These portfolios are the equivalent of a final exam for traditional industries, and provide an incredibly accurate dataset of how well the university or college has prepared their students for industry level skills.
Learn more about how we rank schools.
| Rank | School | Location | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | School of Visual Arts |
United States | 97.75 |
| 2 | Savannah College of Art and Design |
United States, France, Online | 81.59 |
| 3 | Cleveland Institute of Art | United States | 79.71 |
| 4 | University of Hertfordshire |
United Kingdom, Online | 66.41 |
| 5 | ECV |
France | 64.68 |
| 6 | Flinders University / CDW Studios |
Australia, Online | 53.75 |
| 7 | Nanyang Polytechnic SDM | Singapore | 49.75 |
| 8 | The One Academy of Communication Design |
Malaysia | 42.75 |
| 9 | Voxel School | Spain | 37.75 |
| 10 | Ringling College of Art and Design |
United States | 36.75 |
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Talk to an AdvisorExamples of student work submitted from these top schools and colleges
Follow these links below to view some of the incredible entries that our judging panel were tasked with reviewing. These entries showcase the quality of work created by students which helped rank their schools.
Detailed information about the top schools and colleges for 2D Animation
The following schools are the top 2D Animation educational facilities for 2022 and offer great courses and curriculum that produces students that are ready for the challenges faced by professional artists working in 2D Animation. Follow the links below to find out more about these schools, their facilities, team, success stories, student artwork and more.
1. School of Visual Arts
School of Visual Arts has been a leader in the education of artists, designers and creative professionals for nearly seven decades. With a faculty of distinguished working professionals, dynamic curriculum and an emphasis on critical thinking, SVA is a catalyst for innovation and social responsibility. Comprised of more than 6,000 students at its Manhattan campus and nearly 37,000 alumni in 75 countries, SVA also represents one of the most influential artistic communities in the world....
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2. Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah College of Art and Design prepares talented students for creative professions through engaged teaching and learning in a positively oriented university environment. SCAD is continually recognized for educational and professional excellence, affirming our commitment to the highest standards of achievement in art and design in the U.S.SCAD constantly researches and reimagines programs to instill the critical skills and knowledge students need to succeed in their chosen careers....
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3. Cleveland Institute of Art
CIA offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in 15 majors across art, design, craft, and integrated media. We extend our programs to the public through gallery exhibitions, artist lectures, a continuing education program for adults and children, and the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque, an art and independent film program. With 655 full-time students and 670 total students, CIA offers a personal educational experience with the benefits of a larger institution. Students choose from 15 majors a...
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4. University of Hertfordshire
The School of Creative Arts is the oldest part of the University of Hertfordshire, and its roots date back to 1890 with the formation of St Albans School of Art that later merged with the University in the 20th century. The School prides itself on its devotion to teaching creativity and the skills required to enable students to reach the goals they want from a degree and future career. It combines a wealth of physical resources that cover all aspects of creative arts production from animation...
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5. ECV
Since 1984, our ambition has been to turn our students’ creativity into a source of professional success. Sharing, exchanges and meetings with professionals ant the professional world are the keys to success. ECV immerses its students in a community of creative talents, to help them thrive, within the school but also once the enter the professional world.Over the years, our experiences, our independence and our initiatives have allowed us to developp the largest network of creat...
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6. Flinders University / CDW Studios
In partnership Flinders University and CDW Studios have created a very unique study environment where you are being taught by an instructor who currently works as a professional in that industry. Our instructors are world class, and have experience freelancing and working for some of the world’s top entertainment providers and creators, such as Blizzard Entertainment, Rising Sun Pictures, Disney, Warner Brothers and Lego just to name a few. By employing industry professionals CDW Studios and Fli...
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7. Nanyang Polytechnic SDM
Nanyang Polytechnic SDM is a future-ready school of tech-savvy creatives and we are on a mission to empower learners for work and life. We are co-creators with the creative industries for growth and sustainability. We are Singapore’s most established school for the design and media industries given our pioneering efforts in the areas of architecture, animation and visual effects....
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8. The One Academy of Communication Design
In 1991, The One Academy of Communication Design was established as a private art college and our academic strengths lie in the practice of our teaching philosophy “Masters Train Masters”, where we believe excellent graduates stem from great educators. Since our humble beginning over three decades ago, we have come a long way from there, having being ranked as the World’s No.1 Best Concept Art & Illustration School in 2019, World’s No.2 Best Production ...
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9. Voxel School
The Voxel School Professional School of Digital Arts emerges as a transversal model of communication between areas of vital importance for the Digital Economy sector: The video game sector , animation , digital special effects , architectural visualization and design , all of them in its different aspects. The center is managed by professionals from the animation, video game, film, special effects and new technologies industry strongly linked to university management and teaching for more tha...
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10. Ringling College of Art and Design
Since 1931, Ringling College of Art and Design has cultivated the creative spirit in students from around the globe. The private, not-for-profit, fully accredited college offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in eleven disciplines and the Bachelor of Arts in two. The College’s rigorous curriculum employs the studio model of teaching and immediately engages students through a comprehensive program that is both specific to the major of study and focused on the liberal arts. The Ringling College ...
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Talk to an AdvisorHow we calculate global school rankings
Data is based on the quality and performance of student work that is submitted to our judging panel for the Rookie Awards.
The Judging Process
Each entrant is reviewed by members of the official Judging Panel which includes over 150+ highly influential and respected industry veterans. The Judges were asked to score entries based on criteria including — creative skills, technical skills, presentation, variety of skills, complexity, raw talent, and employment potential.
School Calculations
Based on the results of student submissions we received this year we have released the following in-depth breakdowns about the best schools.
Each school is awarded a final score based on the performance of each student representing their academic facility.
When analysing the average scores of each student per school there are three possible data formulas available to use: mean, median and mode.
The Rookies uses median. The median is the middle point of a number set, in which half the numbers are above the median and half are below. A median is intrinsically understandable. It is the middle number when the values are put in order.
- Schools with < 14 student entries are excluded from ranking.
- Incomplete student entries are removed from calculations. No penalties.
- Each student receives a performance score. Max 100 points.
- Median students score calculated per school. Max 100 points.
- Each category finalist receives 2 bonus points toward School Score.
- Each category highly commended receives 4 bonus points toward School Score.
- Each category runner up receives 6 bonus points toward School Score.
- Each category winner receives 10 bonus points toward School Score.
Having the ‘employability of the Artist’ as a judging criteria is key, for in the creative fields you can be free of constraint and let the ideas flow but getting and building a career requires an additional ability to be practical and having ideas that can be executed and maintained.
• Darryn Melrose, former Chief Executive of Media Design School.
Do you feel your school should be listed here?
Over 500 international schools submitted their student work to the Rookie Awards 2022 and were reviewed by industry professionals. To make sure your school is considered for next year's rankings please use the live-chat system located at the bottom-right of this page, or email our team at [email protected].