| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis College of Art and Design | Minneapolis |
| 2 | Minnesota State University, Moorhead | Moorhead |
Our 2025 ranking -our fourteenth annual- of the top animation school programs in Minnesota. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) began as the Minneapolis School of Fine Arts. When it opened, classes commenced in a rented apartment in downtown Minneapolis. Within a few years the school moved on the top floor of the newly built Minneapolis Public Library. Today, MCAD sits on an 11-acre urban campus that houses galleries, media centers, studios, exhibition spaces, a library, fitness center, an art cellar, computer labs, and administrative offices.
Instead of dorms, MCAD provides shared furnished apartments for students. This includes The Web, The Shallows, and The Lodge. Full-time first-year and sophomore undergraduates are required to live on campus.
In addition to a vibrant campus life, Minneapolis College of Art and Design provides several pathways to study animation. At the undergraduate level, the school has an Animation BFA and a minor. At the graduate level, students can earn a Visual Studies MFA.
Students in both degree programs can complete an internship and/or study abroad in places such as the UK, Italy, Germany, and Japan. Across programs, students have completed internships at places such as MTV, Nickelodeon, Walter Art Center, and MASS MoCA.
The MCAD Animation minor explores traditional animation techniques, storytelling, compositing, and pre-production. Students in this 15 credit-hour program will also learn how to use the latest industry software to create animations. All students will take Introduction to Animation. For the remainder of the credits, student may choose from courses such as Drawing for Animators; Storyboard; 3D Animation; Stop-Motion Animation; Character Animation 1; Visual Effects; 2D Digital Animation; Experimental Animation; 3D Modeling; Introduction to Sound; Character Animation 2; and 3D Rendering.
The MCAD Animation BFA is a collaborative program with 2D and 3D tracks. Both tracks require 12 credit hours of study. Consisting of 120 total credits, the BFA allows students to customize an additional focus area (or areas) through 26 credits of required studio electives. Course examples for the program include Introduction to Filmmaking; Experimental Animation; Background Layout for Animators; Virtual Environments; Stop-Motion Animation; 3D Modeling; 2D Digital Animation; Professional Practice; and Character Animation.
The culminating experience for the Animation BFA program at Minneapolis College of Art and Design is the senior project and presentation.
The interdisciplinary Visual Studies MFA allows students to focus in one or more areas of interest. Examples include animation, interactive/digital media, experimental film and video, sound art, web and multimedia, illustration, comic arts, drawing/painting, graphic design, and photography. Students in this 60 credit-hour program also have the opportunity to work one-on-one with a mentor each semester to help reach their goals.
Other program benefits include access to state-of-the art facilities, classrooms, and private studios; participation in events at art centers, galleries, and nonprofits in the Twin Cities; the Master’s Trip to NYC, which features visits to art and design venues, creative agencies, and artist studios; and the option to complete the three-credit Teaching Art and Design online certificate.
Courses for the certificate count towards elective requirements. This allows MFA students to graduate with a terminal degree and a focused certificate. The MCAD MFA program culminates with a thesis and exhibition.
Graduates of the Animation programs at Minneapolis College of Art and Design are prepared to pursue careers in all areas of film and animation, game design, advertising, visualization, and many others. MCAD graduates (and students) have been hired at (or interned with) companies and studios such as Nickelodeon, MTV, Medtronic Inc., Walker Art Center, and Target.
Minneapolis College of Art and Design was established in 1886 by the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts. The school serves approximately 800 students from 45 states and 15 countries. MCAD programs include 14 undergraduate majors leading to a BFA or BS; three MA degrees; one MFA degree; 11 minors; and seven professional development certificates.
Minneapolis College of Art and Design is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The school is also affiliated with the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD).
Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSU Moorhead or MSUM) is just one of seven institutions in the state of Minnesota to be awarded accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). MSUM is also one of the few schools in the world to provide tuition-free pathways for eligible local residents and those in some neighboring states. The school allows students from other regions to complete up to 18 credit hours per semester for the price of just 12. This makes MSU Moorhead one of the nation’s most affordable four-year universities.
Minnesota State University Moorhead houses the School of Media Arts, Design and Entertainment. Within the school is an Animation BFA program that focuses on traditional stop-motion animation, game graphics and 3D simulations, 2D and 3D animation, technical graphics, and 3D modeling. As part of the School of Media Arts, Design and Entertainment, students in the program benefit from immersive hands-on learning; community partners such as the F/M Opera, the Minnesota State Historical Society, and Habitat for Humanity; and one-on-one mentorship.
Other School of Media highlights include field trips to local and regional studios, festivals, and museums; attendance at professional conferences; internships; opportunities to work with student-run Dragon Entertainment Group; study abroad experiences at University of Lincoln in the UK; and the option to join the Anime Club and/or the Film, Animation, Music and Audio Production and Entertainment Management (FAME) Learning Community.
The Animation BFA program at MSU Moorhead requires 120 credit hours including 54 credits in the core and 16 credits of electives. Course examples include Foundations in Animation; Scriptwriting; 3D Animation; History of Motion Pictures; Stop-Motion Animation; Video Production; 2D Animation and Motion Graphics; Film Appreciation; Animation Studio; Critical Approaches to Film and Media Arts; and 3D Modeling.
Elective requirements allow students to develop skills in additional areas of animation and filmmaking. Course examples include Advanced 16 mm Production; Techniques in Film Directing; Topics in Animation; Sound and Film for Video; Editing Techniques; Lighting Studio; and Community Video Project.
In the final year of the MSUM Animation BA program students will complete a capstone project for public presentation. Students must also demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively on a creative team of animators. Graduates are prepared to pursue careers with animation studios, television stations, advertising agencies (and in-house advertising departments), video production houses, web design studios, multimedia firms, and in the music industry.
MSU Moorhead Animation alumni have been hired at places such as the Smithsonian Institution, YouTube, Nokia, Show Low TV, North Star Imaging, 4 Max Post, and Circa Productions.
Minnesota State University Moorhead opened in 1888 as The Moorhead Normal School. The first graduating class consisted of just eight students. Today, MSUM serves approximately 5,550 students enrolled in more than 230 programs across five colleges. Minnesota State University Moorhead is accredited by Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and the school is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).
