Best 3D Animation Schools in the World 2022

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.

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Rank	School	Location	Score
1	Ringling College of Art and Design	United States	87.21
2	Gnomon	Online, United States	81.24
3	New3dge	France	70.35
4	Animum Creativity Advanced School	Spain	69.36
5	Academy of Art University	United States, Online	68.52
6	ArtFX School	France	67.19
7	3dsense Media School	Singapore	66.90
8	SF Film School	Korea	65.75
9	ECV	France	59.28
10	PIXL VISN | media arts academy	Germany	59.16
11	Ecole MoPA	France	55.52
12	Savannah College of Art and Design	United States, France, Online	54.80
13	Think Tank Training Centre	Canada, Online	54.63
14	ESMA	France	54.44
14	School of Visual Arts	United States	54.44
16	cg5 Academy	Korea	53.85
17	BigRock	Italy, Online	50.74
18	Nanyang Polytechnic SDM	Singapore	48.12
19	CG Spectrum	Online	47.74
20	The One Academy of Communication Design	Malaysia	47.44

Detailed information about the top schools and colleges for 3D Animation

The following schools are the top 3D 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 3D Animation. Follow the links below to find out more about these schools, their facilities, team, success stories, student artwork and more.

1. 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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2. Gnomon

For over twenty years, Gnomon has educated many of the world’s best digital artists. Called “the MIT of visual effects” by Fast Company magazine, Gnomon offers a variety of educational options to help students reach their goals in the entertainment industry, with both degree and vocational certificate programs, specialized courses for high school students and over 100 individual courses for professional enrichment. Visual effects artists launched Gnomon with the support of the entertainment indu...

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3. New3dge

New3dge, located in Paris, is a private school of higher education specialized in the fields of Game Art, 3D Animation&VFX and Concept Art. We have tailored our student program and our teaching methods alongside some of the major players in these fields. We recruit our educators from our network of respected professionals around the globe. At New3gde, we give our students the opportunity to learn skills and work with cutting edge technology in an ever-evolving environment, guaranteeing their...

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4. Animum Creativity Advanced School

We constantly network and advise with Industry Stakeholders and academic partners globally to ensure we are constantly industry relevant. We network with Epic Games, Unity 3D, Rokoko, Reallusion, GSU, NYU, Southern Institute of Technology, Ara Institute, Yoobee Colleges, and more.Students are regularly hired by Epic Games, Weta Group, Eleven FX, Graphic Monk, Geo AR....

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5. Academy of Art University

Since 1929, Academy of Art University has helped prepare aspiring artists and designers for professional careers by offering 135+ accredited degree options in more than 40 areas of study. Choose from animation and visual effects, game design and development, illustration, fine art, communications, filmmaking, and more. We are first and foremost a professional school—a purpose-based art and design school where students develop their talents and acquire the specific skills sought by the creative ...

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6. ArtFX School

ArtFX is a private digital arts college, training its students in CGI, VFX, 3D Animation and Video Games. Located in Montpellier (France), the school was created by professionals of the film, video games and visual effects industries.As the only school in Europe specializing in compositing CGI into live-action footage, ArtFX is a reference for CGI and CG animation training. At ArtFx you will develop professional level skills and build a solid network of contacts thanks to our close partnerships ...

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7. 3dsense Media School

3dsense Media School is a leading digital arts school in Asia, preparing students for careers in the creative entertainment industry since 2003. We focus on providing industry-based training for Visual Effects, Animation, Game Art, Motion Design, Concept Art, Illustration and Toy Production. Since 2015, 3dsense has been consistently ranked amongst the Top 10 Art Schools globally by “The Rookies World School Rankings”, the world’s most respected ranking system for creative media schools. Bes...

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8. SF Film School

We are a professional education institution specifically for CG and VFX (Visual Effects). Our branches are in Seoul and Busan of South Korea. A lot of our graduates are currently working for the top VFX and 3D animation companies in the world. We welcome all the students regardless of the amount of experience that they have. Our systematic education curriculum guides any students who have no previous experience into a CG and VFX professional. If a student already has previous experience, we focu...

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9. 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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10. PIXL VISN | media arts academy

PIXL VISN was founded in 2010 by industry professionals Andrei Stirbu and Robb Innes. We offer an accelerated 15-month 3D Animation and Visual Effects training program in a modern facility equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, located in the heart of Cologne, Germany. Instructors at PIXL VISN are a part of the industry: They work in relevant positions at major studios around the world helping to create major Hollywood feature films, hit television series and blockbuster video games. Our grad...

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11. Ecole MoPA

The history of MoPA is intrinsically linked to that of Supinfocom, created in Valenciennes in 1988. It was the first French school entirely dedicated to CG imaging. In the year 2000, it opened in Arles.Over the next few years Supinfocom Arles forged its own path, gaining a reputation for excellence and winning its first international prizes. Since then the school has trained over 500 top-level professionals who are now working throughout the world and the list of prestigious prizes continues to ...

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12. 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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13. Think Tank Training Centre

Think Tank Training Centre was born out of a passion for sharing industry knowledge with the next generation of artists creating assets, animation, or VFX for the top Film, Television, and Game companies across the globe. Think Tank has ranked in the top 3 creative entertainment schools in the world by the prestigious Rookies online community the past three years in a row. The school is known for its intimate, personalized support for each student during and beyond the programs. Our training ...

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14. ESMA

ESMA CG School is a hiher education institution located in Montpellier, Toulouse, Nante, Lyon and Montreal, with more than 25 years of experience.Recognized for the quality and richness of its artistic teachings, the school offers two courses related to CG Animation and FX: a Prépa Entertainment and a Professional Cycle CG Animation & FX.Our ambition: to offer a teaching in adequacy with the professional environment in order to prepare our students for the various artistic professions and to...

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15. 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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16. cg5 Academy

We are teaching CG graphics based on sincerity and trust so that those who study CG can achieve their desired goals....

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17. BigRock

BigRock, Institute of Magic Technologies, is the first training center of visual effects in Italy. BigRock represents a state-of-the-art reality in the 3D animation scene in Europe and trains hundreds of new computer graphics students every year. BigRock is a private training centre for Computer Graphics, Concept Art and Virtual Reality located in Venice, Italy. Here since 2005 we train the next generation of artists for the industry of Visual Effects, Videogames, 3D Animation, Concept Art an...

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18. 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, experiential product and interior design, game art and development, interaction design, motion graphics and visual communication...

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19. CG Spectrum

CG Spectrum brings the industry to you! Advance your career with a world-class education, personalized mentorship from film and game experts, specialized industry-led programs, career development services, and access to a vibrant community: a powerful network of peers and industry professionals supporting you during your studies and throughout your career.CG Spectrum is a a global top-ranked training provider, an Unreal Authorized Training Center, Unreal Academic Partner, Unreal Conne...

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20. 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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How 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].