| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas State University | Manhattan |
| 2 | University of Kansas | Lawrence |
| 3 | Wichita State University | Wichita |
Our 2025 ranking -our fourteenth annual- of the top animation school programs in Kansas. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
Kansas State University (K-State) is home to the Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus, which houses a unique program that blends art and technology through coursework and projects in animation, programming, motion graphics, web design, video production, graphic design and photography. The program—the Engineering Technology BS with a Digital Media Technology (DMT) option—takes place in a studio environment led by industry professionals, where students have the opportunity to work on projects with real-world clients. This hands-on program also provides access to industry-standard software including Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, and designated iMac Lab space.
Course examples for the program include Visual Communication Studio; Programming I-II; Emerging Technologies Studio; Fundamentals of Design Thinking; Digital Media Production Studio; User Experience (UX) Design in Digital Media; Computer Systems Studio I-III; and Digital Rhetoric.
The culminating experience for the K-State DMT BS is the Digital Media Senior Capstone Project. Students in this course will develop a professional quality digital media project, individually or in teams. These real-word projects from local businesses will focus on the student’s area of interest. Projects will be presented to faculty and peers for final evaluation.
Graduates of the Digital Media Technology program at Kansas State University are prepared to pursue careers across industries such as entertainment, games, television, technology, and advertising. Program alumni enjoy a near-perfect 97% job placement rate. Graduates go on to become Animators, Game Artists, Interactive Designers, Digital Illustrators, Creative Directors, Motion Designers, Video Producers, Art Directors, Web Designers, and UX Designers.
Founded on February 16, 1863 as Kansas State Agricultural College, Kansas State University was the nation’s first operational land-grant college. Today, the school serves more than 20,000 students enrolled in over 365 graduate degree programs, certificates, and undergraduate options. Programs at K-State are housed across nine colleges, the graduate school, and campuses in Manhattan, Salina, and Olathe, Kansas. The school also houses K-State Global/K-State Online. Kansas State University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
University of Kansas (KU) is home to the School of Architecture and Design (SAD), which houses the Department of Design. Within the department is a Design BFA program with a concentration in Animation. As part of KU, the program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The university has been an NASAD-accredited institution since 1968.
The Design BFA takes place in a creative studio environment that encourages collaborations and multidisciplinary study. All Design students have access to studio spaces and state-of-the-art labs and production facilities. Other program features include short-term and semester-long internships in the U.S. and abroad; lectures and workshops led by accomplished industry professionals; and opportunities to collaborate with KU partners such as PepsiCo, HyperX, AT&T, and Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG).
The Design BFA (Animation) program explores traditional 2D hand-drawn animation, 3D animation, narrative and storytelling, character animation, game design, worldbuilding, editorial, advertising, and animation for education. Course examples include Design Thinking and Making; Introduction to Animation; KU Design Professional Lecture Series; History of Animation; Introduction to Film and Media; Visual Development for Animation; Studio-Principles of Story; 3D Foundations for Animation; Visual Culture; Studio-Action Analysis; Promotion and Marketing for Animation; and Studio Production.
The culminating experience for the KU Design BFA (Animation) program is the production of an animated short and presentation at the Department of Design Senior Show. Graduates are prepared to pursue careers in animation, television production, live-action films, visual effects, game art and design, motion graphics, advertising, architecture, publishing, medical animation, and education.
Recent graduates have gone on to pursue advanced degrees at top universities, while others have been hired at places such as Disney, Pixar, and Hallmark. Some program alumni have also launched their own independent studios.
University of Kansas was founded in 1865. The school opened on September 12, 1866 with one building and 55 students. Today, KU serves 30,770 students across five campuses including Lawrence, Overland Park, Kansas City, Wichita, and Salina, Kansas. Students at KU have access to 400 degree and certificate programs across 13 academic schools. University of Kansas is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Wichita State University (WSU) is home to the largest cooperative education (co-op) and internship program in Kansas. The program, known as Shocker Career Accelerator, focuses on providing opportunities for students to obtain paid positions in their area of interest while earning college credit. WSU has partnerships with many local businesses, studios, and non-profit organizations.
Other WSU features include the 18,000 square feet GoCreate Makerspace at the Innovation Campus; more than 30 centers and institutes that collaborate with local, regional, and national businesses; and an active program in the Office of Innovation and New Ventures for students interested in launching their own start-ups.
Wichita State University is also home to the College of Fine Arts, which is the only comprehensive college of fine arts in the state. The college serves more than 1,000 students annually across four schools including Art, Design and Creative Industries (ADCI); Digital Arts; Music; and Performing Arts. Students in all schools have access to state-of-the-art labs and studios; the Ulrich Museum of Art with more than 6,000 works of contemporary and modern art; and more than 500 presentations and performance each year.
All WSU College of Fine Arts alumni will also have access to workshops, career fairs, and job counselors for mock interviews and job search assistance.
The School of Digital Arts in the College of Fine Arts houses Shocker Studios, which provides an interdisciplinary Media Arts BAA that prepares student for careers in animation, filmmaking, game design, audio production, and acting for television and film. The Media Arts BAA is one of just a few programs of its kind in the U.S.
An 18 credit-hour undergraduate Animation certificate is also available. This hands-on program provides courses in drawing, digital animation, VFX, computer modeling, rigging, character design, storyboarding, props, compositing, and digital sculpting.
The Media Arts BAA has creative tracks in Animation; Filmmaking; Game Design; and Audio Production. Across tracks, students will work and learn in Shocker Studios—a state-of-the-art 35,000 square feet professional production space that houses classrooms, film, virtual reality, motion capture, and design studios, computer labs, and recording studios. The BAA (including the track) requires 120 credit hours.
The track is 54 credit hours. All students will complete the Media Arts core, which includes courses such as Introduction to Multimedia; Media Arts Practicum I; Introduction to Media Aesthetics and Analysis; Media Arts Practicum II - Animation; Introduction to Sound for Digital Media; Media Arts Practicum III – Animation; and Professional Practices in Media Arts – Portfolio.
In the Animation concentration, students will take courses such as Digital Animation I-III; Storyboarding; Clay Modeling; Rigging; Compositing and VFX; Scriptwriting; Video Storytelling; and Computer Modeling.
The culminating experience for the Media Arts BAA program at Wichita State University is the production of a final project and portfolio. Graduates are prepared to pursue positions in areas of animated films, live-action films, television production, and game design, among others.
Wichita State University was founded in 1895. The school is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. With its affiliate, WSU TECH, Wichita State serves approximately 23,805 students enrolled in more than 200 areas of study across nine colleges and schools. Wichita State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
