Updated at: 17-03-2023 - By: Eden Wise

Overview

One of the best places to earn a degree in animation is in New York City (NYC). New York is a city steeped in the history of animation.

These New York City (NYC) animation schools and universities train future generations to compete in the animation and visual effects industries.

When I was a kid, I remember enjoying many animated films. Sometimes I think about the methods used to train the animals in those shows. I always wanted to learn how to get animals to react to me so that I could use that knowledge later in life.

It never occurred to me that animation consisted solely of hand-drawn or painted images on sheets of transparent celluloid that would later be photographed and shown on film.

My recommendation is to apply to one of the top Animation Schools and Colleges in New York City (NYC), regardless of where your motivation comes from. You’ll be able to use a wide variety of the available animation software.

Best Animation Schools In New York

Best animation schools in new york

City of New York—Brooklyn College

Students at Brooklyn College have access to a world-class faculty that specializes in providing a well-rounded education for aspiring artists from all over the world. A wide variety of art experts, from historians and professional critics to curators, have participated in the program.

Students at Brooklyn College have access to state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories, studios, and workrooms, as well as a specialized art library. However, education does not stop at the school gates.

Students in the visual arts have access to some of the world’s best museums, galleries, and conferences thanks to New York City’s thriving art community outside of the university.

In the beginning stages of their education, most students take introductory courses in areas like design, drawing, and color theory, art history, modern art, and 3D design. For a better grasp of the state of the art in today’s rapidly evolving world, they will focus on areas such as multimedia creation, 2D and 3D graphics, digital and Internet art.

Capstone seminars are required of BFA students as well. Coursework for a Master of Fine Arts degree typically begins with studies in theory, the history of design, and writing and practice. The course’s research component and a culminating master seminar follow. A capstone show is required for students to graduate.

Fashion Institute of Technology

Fashion Institute of Technology (New York, NY)

FIT is widely recognized as a leading institution for the study of computer animation and interactive media, and its curriculum reflects this reputation by providing a thorough introduction to the field as well as advanced training in its many forms. Everyone in the class will work in a real-world production setting, perfecting their skills in areas like scriptwriting, 3D modeling, and storyboarding.

They’ll also be involved in things like music composition, sound design, and animation. Students at FIT complete the program with a thesis on a variety of media, from the design of virtual reality environments to the use of projection mapping and participation in other emerging media.

St. John’s University

Students at St. John’s University have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of graphic design as well as apply what they’ve learned in real-world projects.

Graphic designers have had to evolve to meet the changing needs of the market, as more and more brands rely on creative teams to shape their marketability and reach a variety of target audiences.

Therefore, our 132-degree program prepares students to effectively communicate an artist’s vision in print and media culture through a command of color, photography, and text.

This division also works to secure the most prestigious internship opportunities for its students.

Syracuse University

Syracuse University

Syracuse University’s BFA Computer Art & Animation program focuses on pushing the boundaries of digital art for the sake of cultural exploration and experimentation. Students are encouraged to explore their creative sides using a medium where computers and software play a central role.

Included in this curriculum are seminars on topics such as computer gaming, creative programming, physical computing, 3D computer animation, and sonic art.

Have you enrolled in a suitable Animation course? Even if you can’t find a degree program that seems like a good fit, you should always keep in mind that you have more control over your education than your institution does. It’s up to you to put in the effort to get what you want out of an animation degree. You can start building a future in animation right now.

School of Visual Arts

School of Visual Arts

In Manhattan, New York is where you’ll find the School of Visual Arts (SVA), a private institution that teaches visual arts disciplines like design and animation for a fee. It has been around since 1947, and it belongs to the Association of Independent Art and Design Colleges. In 1947, cartoonists and illustrators Silas H. Rhodes and Burne Hogarth established the school.

The cost of attending SVA (or “School of Visual Arts”) is $22,500 per semester, and the school has a graduation rate of about 72%.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and other local institutions have commissioned animations from SVA students.

Their alums have gone on to work at major studios like Disney and DreamWorks, as well as smaller studios like Blue Sky and Nickelodeon, and even independent studios like Lucasfilm and Sony Pictures.

The Film Academy, the International Animation Festival, and the International Association of Film Entertainers (ASIFA) are just a few of the organizations that have honored many of these filmmakers for their short and feature-length works.

Both the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design have recognized the quality of this institution’s art and design programs and granted it accreditation.

The animation department there is dedicated to teaching students everything they can possibly learn about the field. And the liberty to experiment with one’s own aesthetic tastes and perspectives through the medium of narrative

You have a distinct artistic voice and a firm grasp of both digital and analog animation tools. Fundamentally, they want their undergraduates to be familiar with the norms, expectations, and strategies of the workforce at the professional level. In addition to being prepared for a career in television, feature, or indie filmmaking.

The current enrollment stands at 389 students, 50 teachers, and 46 units. Fees that are mandatory for all undergraduates include tuition, a department fee, and medical insurance.

New York Film Academy

The New York Film Academy is a for-profit film, theater, and animation school with campuses in New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami. Jerry Sherlock, a former producer of film, television, and theater, established the New York Film Academy in 1992. They moved it from its original location in the Tribeca Film Center.

There are only around 1,080 students enrolled in the undergraduate program, making it a relatively small school. There is no rejection rate at the New York Film Academy in New York (NYC). Careers in the visual and performing arts, including 3D animation, film, and video, and production, are also very popular. The percentage of students who completed their studies at NYFA New York (NYC) was 73%.

When it comes to preparing our students for the challenges of higher education, NYFA Animation School stands out for its emphasis on the practical, technical, and artistic skills necessary to bring stories enriched with CG to life. professional.

The New York Film Academy, widely regarded as one of the world’s top animation schools, provides its students with access to state-of-the-art professional facilities and equipment, allowing them to gain hands-on experience with 3D Maya, Mudbox, Autodesk MotionBuilder, Pixologic ZBrush digital sculptor, SideFX Houdini FX, Chaos V-Ray, and the Foundry Nuke program, among other industry-standard tools.

The New York Film Academy is, therefore, a top choice for those looking for a top-tier animation education in New York City.

Pratt Institute

Pratt Institute

Pratt Institute (Pratt) is an institution in New York City that provides a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Digital Arts through its Department of Digital Arts in the School of Art. The Graduate School of Art is also located within the School of Art, and it confers degrees leading to Master of Fine Arts in Digital Arts in the fields of Digital Animation and Motion Arts, Interactive Arts, and Digital Imaging. Options for concentration within the BFA program include 3-D Animation and Motion Arts, 2-D Animation, and Interactive Arts.

The department is renowned for its small class sizes, supportive community, cutting-edge studios and classrooms, and expert faculty. Courses in 3D modeling, animation programming, compositing, special effects, lighting, and rendering are all part of the BFA curriculum. The program also includes a Senior Project Development course and a Senior Project course.

Digital Animation Studio, Traditional Animation, and Advanced Digital Animation are just some of the electives available to MFA students at Pratt. The program also includes Thesis I and II, as well as Graduate Seminar I and II.

Pratt Institute alums can be found working at companies such as Digital Domain, Gameloft, Walt Disney Animation Studios, NBCUniversal, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Sony Pictures Imageworks, and many more. Many Pratt grads have gone on to successful academic careers at places like NYIT, NYU, RIT, Howard, and the American Academy in Rome.

Pratt Institute, established in 1887, is notable for being an early institution of higher education to provide equal access to its programs for people of all backgrounds. There are a total of 4,875 students enrolled at the school’s three New York locations in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Utica. There are over fifty different options for students at all levels of education, from undergraduate to postgraduate, with six different departments and schools to choose from. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) has recognized Pratt Institute as meeting their standards for accreditation.

Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is home to a prestigious film and animation school within its College of Art and Design. You can earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts or Master of Fine Arts in Film and Animation, as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Animation with a concentration in Animation or a concentration in Production, or a Bachelor of Science in Motion Picture Science.

The Master of Fine Arts program offers concentrations in two dimensions (2D) animation, three dimensions (3D) animation, production, and screenwriting. Producing for film, TV, and animation are all subjects that must be studied as part of the BS degree’s required curriculum. The Film BFA Animation Track places an emphasis on various forms of animation, including stop-motion, 3D animation, and animation production and screenwriting. There are two- and three-dimensional animation, as well as stop-motion animation, as options. Animation skills for augmented and virtual reality applications, movies, video games, and CGI visual effects are taught.

Potential Method of Production Graduates of the BFA program will have the skills necessary to create a variety of films, including those based on reality, fiction, experiment, and the live action format. As a result, students can anticipate learning by doing when it comes to operating cameras, editing software, and sound recording devices.

Internships, cooperative education, and other forms of hands-on experience are a standard feature of every program. The MAGIC Spell Studios, at RIT, are a whopping 52,000 square feet of animation heaven.

Additionally, state-of-the-art hardware and software is available in all labs and classrooms. Animation students of all levels at RIT will be able to take part in the school’s Creative Industry Day, where they can network with professionals from various studios, design studios, and other creative businesses.

Numerous companies in the entertainment industry employ Rochester Institute of Technology alums. These include Lucasfilm, Electronic Arts, Dolby, Nickelodeon, Sony, DreamWorks, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), and Disney.

The Rochester Technical College has been around since 1829. The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is one of the largest private universities in the United States, with over 19,000 students across its campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai, and Kosovo. More than two hundred degree programs are available across the university’s eleven colleges and institutes. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) has recognized Rochester Institute of Technology’s high standards of excellence and granted the institution institutional accreditation.

Queens College

Queens College

Queens College (QC or Queens) offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design through its Art Department in its School of Arts & Humanities. Animation, Illustration, Interaction Design, and Communication Design are the four tracks available to students in the program. Graphic design, digital filmmaking and imaging, interaction design, and animation and illustration are all available as minors through the QC Art Department. The minimum number of semester hours to earn a minor is 21.

Five electives are required for the Design BFA Concentration. There are also eight design electives that must be taken to graduate. Highlights from other courses include VT: 3D Animation, Video Graphics and Compositing, Physical Computing, and Information Design; VT: Pixel-based Imagery; and VT: Shoot, Edit, Post; Game Design; Adobe Flash; Storyboarding; App Design; Digital Imagemaking; and VT: Digital Imagemaking.

Studio-based learning is beneficial to students in any major, and they also have the option to specialize in areas like advertising, marketing, web design, software development, graphic design, and product design. Students are able to gain practical design experience through the department’s extensive internship network.

Together with relevant work experience. Students in the Design Program at Queens College graduate with a professional portfolio showcasing their work.

It was in 1937 that the first classes at Queens College were held. Queens College (QC) is a campus of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, and it is home to over 19,000 students pursuing degrees at the bachelor’s and master’s level in one of its 170 academic programs. Queens College’s curriculum is organized into the Arts & Humanities School, the Education School, the Math & Natural Sciences School, and the Social Sciences School. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) has granted Queens College its seal of approval.

Daemen College

Students at Daemen College with an interest in animation can learn about the fundamentals of traditional narrative animation filmmaking. The primary emphasis of Daemen’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation program is on storytelling through both traditional hand-drawn animation and CGI. They have a strong emphasis on the animation field, and our instructors have years of relevant experience.

Students looking for entry-level positions in the animation industry will benefit from a bachelor’s degree. Character designers, writers, storyboard artists, CG art directors, and CGI animators are all essential members of the production team. Training in every facet of production ensures that students develop fully.

The program’s distinctiveness lies in its emphasis on both classical animation techniques and cutting-edge computer graphics animation, with a particular focus on developing a compelling story from the individual student’s point of view.

The program was designed with current animation studio needs in mind. All applications and software are up to date with modern manufacturing standards.

Therefore, Daemen College is a top choice for those looking for a top-tier animation education in New York City.

Conclusion

The odds are good that you are the next person in line to become an animator if you stumbled upon this article. Take advantage of your enthusiasm and abilities by enrolling in one of New York City’s top animation programs.

You can become a part of the animation magic by learning the ropes from the ground up, starting with 2D animation and progressing to 3D animation, building site graphics, and recreating scenes. A degree from one of New York’s top animation schools is your best and quickest bet at a career in the highly coveted field of animation, where you can expect to earn a competitive salary. Take a look at our recommendations, pick a major, and you could soon be a game-changer in the animation industry.