CalArts, or California Institute of the Arts, is the best animation school in America, according to Education-Portal.com. The school offfers a Bachelor or Master of Fine Arts in Experimental Animation and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Character Animation degrees. The school's alumni include Tim Burton, the director of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and the "Batman" series, and John Lasseter, the chief creative officer Walt Disney Animation Studios and the director of "Toy Story" and "Cars."
The Rhode Island School of Design, located in Providence, Rhode Island, is the top graphic design school in the U.S., according to U.S.News & World Report. The graphic design program offers courses in communications theory, visual form-making, design history, color, systems thinking, typography and information design. The school also offers animation programs. The Rhode Island School of Design offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Graphic Design degree.
The University of Southern California was ranked as the number two animation school by Education-Portal.com. The John C. Hench Division of Animation and Digital Arts, an animation department of the university, allows students to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Animation and Digital Arts. The available areas of specialization include three-dimensional computer animation, visual effects, character animation and interactive animation. The University of Southern California is located in downtown Los Angeles
Yale University is known for its law and business education. However, it also has a second-best graphic design program, according to U.S.News & World Report. In addition, U.S.News & World Report ranks Yale as a number one school to study painting, drawing and photography, fields closely related to graphic design. The courses students study include visual thinking, basic drawing, sculpture, graphic design, photography, lithography and topography.
Parsons The New School For Design, abbreviated Parsons, is a well-established design school founded in 1896 by William Merritt Chase, an American impressionist. The school, located in New York, New York, is named after Frank Alvah Parsons, the school's president in the early 20th century. Those interested in graphic design and animation can apply for the Design and Technology program to receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree. The disciplines include computer graphics, animation, game design, motion graphics, data programming, physical computing, and interactive technologies.