| Ranking | School | State |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gnomon | California |
| 2 | University of Southern California | California |
| 3 | Academy of Art University | California |
| 4 | ArtCenter College of Design | California |
| 5 | University of California, Los Angeles | California |
Our 2024 rankings of the Top 5 visual effect schools on the west coast, our third annual rankings for VFX. For an explanation of ranking criteria, click here.
Gnomon provides two paths to study visual effects. All options emphasize training in leading industry software such as Maya, Nuke, Adobe After Effects, ZBrush, Houdini, Photoshop, and V-Ray. Specific programs include the Digital Production BFA and the Digital Production for Entertainment certificate. Across programs, students benefit from small class sizes of no more than 14 students; a studio-environment consisting of a 45,000 square foot lot within the historic Television Center Studio lot; and instructors who are working professionals in the VFX, animation, and games industries.
The Digital Production BFA consists of 180 total units, with 135 units of career-focused study and 45 in general education. Students will take 27 units of concentration-specific courses. Concentration options include Visual Effects Animation and Game Art. VFX Animation is the top choice for students interested in pursuing careers in visual effects.
Course examples for this concentration area include Principles of VFX; HD Digital Filmmaking for VFX; Animation and Visual Effects; Houdini 1-4; Matchmoving and Integration; VFX Design; Virtual Production; Dynamic Effects 1-4; Liquid Simulations; Advanced Digital Sculpting; Maya Modules; Visual Effects for Games; and Character Rigging for Production.
The Digital Production BFA at Gnomon consists of 12 terms completed over three to four years. The program culminates with the creation of a professional demo reel competed across four courses and two terms.
Consisting of eight terms completed over two years, the Gnomon Digital Production for Entertainment certificate has five emphasis areas. Visual Effects Animation is among them. Course examples include Overview of Visual Effects and Games; Animation and Visual Effects 1-2; HD Digital Filmmaking for Visual Effects; Dynamic Effects 1-4; Matchmoving and Integration; Visual Effects Design; Houdini 1-4; Scripting for Production; Lighting and Rendering 1-4; Advanced Compositing; and Liquid Simulations.
In the final two terms of the program, certificate students will compete a demo reel across two courses; several labs as electives; the Portfolio and Resume Workshop course; and the Career Realities course.
Known as the MIT of visual effects, Gnomon boasts a 95% placement rate, with more than 900 industry-employed graduates to date. Alumni hold titles such as VFX Artist, Gameplay Animator, Character Artist, Cinematics Animator, and Environment Artist. They work at top studios such as DreamWorks, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Sony Pictures Animation, Nickelodeon, Paramount, Netflix Studios, and Framestore.
Established in 1997 by Alex Alvarez, Gnomon opened in a modest classroom location in Hollywood, California. Today, Gnomon sits on a 45,000 square foot lot within the historic Television Center Studio Lot in North Hollywood, California. Serving more than 550 students, the school provides degree programs, vocational certificates, and 110 unique courses for professional enrichment or portfolio development. Gnomon is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC).
University of Southern California (USC) is home to the School of Cinematic Arts (SCA), which houses the John C. Hench Division of Animation and Digital Arts (Hench DADA). Within the division are the STEM-designated BFA and MFA programs. A 3D Animation minor with elective options in visual effects, virtual reality, motion capture, character animation or modeling is also available. Students in the minor will complete 16 credit hours, including 12 elective credits.
Course examples for students who would like to focus in visual effects include The World of Visual Effects; Digital Effects for Animation; Visual Effects; Live Action Integration with Visual Effects; and Creative Production in Virtual Reality.
The BFA program at USC Hench DADA has an Animation and Digital Arts option and a Game Art option. Both programs allow students to concentrate or specialize in visual effects.
The Animation and Digital Arts BFA program at USC is combines liberal arts and animation practice. The curriculum for the Game Art BFA has a broader liberal arts component, combined with the specialization. In addition, all Hench DADA students have the unique opportunity to collaborate on projects with students in the Production (Live Action) Division, Interactive Games Division, Kaufman School of Dance, and Thorton School of Music.
Course examples across programs include Introduction to 3D Modeling, Animation, and Visual Effects; Creative Production in Virtual Reality; Visual Effects; The World of Visual Effects; Digital Effects Animation; Live Action Integration with Visual Effects; Programming in Python; Character Development for 3-D Animation and Games; Digital Lighting and Rendering; Organic Modeling for Animation; History of Cinema; Introduction to Storyboarding; Production; and Studio Careers: Story to Screen. All BFA students will also complete a senior project across several courses.
The Animation and Digital Arts MFA at University of Southern California is a 50 credit hour program that allows students to select 15 SCA electives in an area of interest. This includes visual effects. All students will complete a master’s thesis, which consists of a fully rendered, animated production complete with soundtrack. For visual effects students, final projects must be 70% animated.
Graduates of the SCA Hench DADA BFA and MFA programs go on to land positions at major studios or to launch their own studios and freelance businesses. Program alumni have been hired at places such as DreamWorks Animation, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Nickelodeon Animation, Pixar, Sony Pictures, Digital Domain, and Illumination.
University of Southern California opened in 1880 with 53 students and 10 teachers. Today, the school has 47,000 students served by approximately 4,770 full-time faculty. This makes University of Southern California the largest school by enrollment in the state, and the largest private sector employer in Los Angeles. USC also provides more than 600 graduate and professional programs across 23 schools and divisions. University of Southern California is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
Academy of Art University houses the STEM and Houdini Certified School of Animation and Visual Effects. Learning in the school takes place in a studio production environment known as Studio X, where students get hands-on experience working with real filmmakers. StudioX students have been credited on many films such as Fruitvale Station and Beasts of the Southern Wild. All StudioX students will also have an IMDB listing, and the opportunity to include all work on their final demo reels.
Specific programs for students seeking careers in VFX include AA, BFA, MA, and MFA degrees in Animation and Visual Effects. Academy of Art also has an Animation and VFX certificate program that allows students to skip liberal arts coursework and begin producing visual effects from day one.
Course examples across programs include Cinematics for Animation and VFX; History and Technology of VFX and Computer Animation; Scripting for VFX and Riggers; Real-Time Animation and VFX; Storyboarding and Cinematic Effect; Producing for Animation and Visual Effects Physics for Artists: Light, Sound, and Motion; Fundamentals of Lookdev & Lighting; 3D Animation Physics and Mechanics; and Careers in Animation and VFX.
Across programs, students have opportunities to complete an internship and/or study abroad experience.
Graduates of the School of Animation and Visual Effects at Academy of Art University are prepared to pursue careers in the Entertainment industry. Program alumni have been hired at major studios such as Sony Pictures Animation, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Google, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Marvel, Riot Games, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Weta FX, and LAIKA Studios.
Academy of Art University is a family-owned private university that serves more than 7,000 students. making it one of the nation’s largest private art and design schools. Established in 1929, Academy of Art is divided into 22 schools that provide more than 120 programs across 40+ areas of study. Programs lead to the AA, BA, BFA, BS, B. Arch, MAT, MA, MFA and M. Arch degrees. Academy of Art University is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
ArtCenter College of Design (ArtCenter) has an Entertainment Design BS program that prepares students for careers in areas such as visual effects, live action filmmaking, animation, and game design. The program allows students to customize the coursework to fit their individual goals. The BS also provides established tracks in Animation, Game Design, and Concept Design.
All students have access to VFX courses such as Visual Structure; CG 2 Mechanics; Worldbuilding; 2D 3 Mechanics; Visual Storytelling; CG 3 Mechanics; Rendering and Lighting; Previsualization; and Production Design.
The Entertainment Design BS program at ArtCenter College of Design culminates with a Capstone project completed across six courses. Final productions will be viewed during the Graduate Show for Entertainment Design.
Graduates have been hired at major companies and studios such as Pixar, Warner Bros., Microsoft, Apple, DreamWorks Animation, Riot Games, Blizzard Entertainment, Marvel, Google, Paramount, Mattel, Walt Disney Imagineering, Netflix, Amazon, and The WB.
Founded in 1930, ArtCenter College of Design serves approximately 2,385 across campuses in Pasadena and Los Angeles, California, satellite studios in Petersen Automotive Museum (Miracle Mile, Los Angeles), and Berlin, Germany. The school provides 11 undergraduate programs; seven graduate degree programs leading to an MFA or MS; a joint MS/MBA program; and undergraduate minors in Business, Creative Writing, and Social Innovation.
ArtCenter College of Design is fully accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
The School of Theater, Film & Television at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) is home to the School of Theater, Flim and Television. Within the school is the Department of Film, Television and Digital Media (FTVDM), which provides several paths and initiatives related to visual effects studies.
Programs include the BA in Flim, Television and Digital Media. Initiatives include Special Effects for Film and Television; Interactive Television; Computer Animation and Video Gaming; Development of Web-Based Media Arts; and Computer Assisted Theater Design. FTVDM students also have access to the state-of-the-art Walter Lantz Digital Animation Studio and other production facilities.
For students seeking shorter program or single courses, UCLA Extension has an 11-week Introduction to Visual Effects Creation course and a Post-Production certificate program. The course features lectures, exercises and industry guests. Topics include understanding color for VFX; virtual production and XR; 3D animation; VFX supervision; studio pipelines, and Adobe After Effects. At the end of the course, students will have the opportunity to complete a short VFX sequence with After Effects.
The Post-Production Certificate is a project-based program that features courses taught by professionals from paces such as Amazon Studios, Netflix, and MTV. The nine-course curriculum covers training on industry-standard software, VFX, sound, and editing. Course examples include Introduction to Visual Effects Creation; Post-Production for Film and Television; The Art and Craft of Film Editing; Color Correction for Film and Television; and Introduction to Adobe Premiere.
Certificate students may also select two electives from upper division courses in Directing, Producing, Cinematography, and Film Scoring. Examples include Directing Workshop I: Composition and Movement; Introduction to Pro Tools; The Role of the Digital Imaging Technician in Cinematography. Anatomy of a Film Score; The Craft of the Director; and Making Your First Short Film.
All certificate students will have the opportunity to apply for an internship after completing 12 credit hours. Students will also leave the program with a portfolio of their best work. The Post-Production certificate program at UCLA can be completed in nine months full-time or up to three years part-time.
The Film, Television and Digital Media BA provides education and professional training in production and post-production techniques, animation, and screenwriting. Course examples for the program include Digital Cinematography (explores special effects); Experimental Film; Computer Animation in Film and Video; Advanced Film Editing; Tools and Techniques: Cinematography; Motion Picture Lighting; Digital Audio Postproduction; Film and Television Laboratory; and Undergraduate Film Production.
During the senior year, BA students will choose a concentration in an area of interest. Examples include Production – Post-Production; Animation; and Digital Media. The program culminates with a professional internship and the completion of a professional production.
Graduates of the FTVDM Department at UCLA are prepared to pursue careers in the entertainment industry. UCLA alumni have been hired at major studios such as Pixar, Walt Disney Imagineering, DreamWorks, and Nickelodeon.
Established in 1919, University of California Los Angeles has helped produce more than 200 startup companies to date. Serving approximately 46,675 students from more than 115 countries around the world, UCLA provides over 250 programs across 12 professional schools and UCLA College. University of California Los Angeles is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
