With the rising popularity of movies and video games, the 3D animation field has also seen a rise in demand. Becoming an animator is a great career choice for those who are looking to exercise their creativity while seeking out a high income growth potential. If you’re looking to enter the field, then you’ll need quality education to get started. Here is how you can find the best animation schools for you to kickstart your career.
How to Find the Best 3D Animation Schools for You:
While the decision is highly individual, there are several different factors that you should consider before making this decision. Finding the best 3D animation schools may come down to your location, budget, prerequisites, and more. You should consider these seven things before making your final decision:
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Location
As with choosing any college or career option, location plays a large role in the final decision. Are you someone who needs to stay close to your home town, or are you looking to move to a big city to attend the biggest organization? Most of the best animation schools are in larger cities, which can be an inconvenience to many. If this is the case, then you may look into an online education program instead (see below).
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Budget
The second factor that you should consider is your budget. This is likely just as important, if not more important, as the correct location. According to Colleges and Degrees, most bachelor’s degree programs in computer animation cost about $40,000 per year, which totals roughly $160,000. Regardless of if you’ll be applying for financial aid or not, this is a hefty expense! If you’re interested in this field but would like to pay less for your education, then you should know there are better options available. You can find the best option below!
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Program Length
The third factor you should consider when finding the best 3D animation schools for you is program length. How much time can you realistically dedicate to a program? If you’re looking to start working sooner, then you may want to look into accelerated programs that allow you to take the information at your own pace. Most colleges require a bachelor’s degree, or 4 years dedicated to earning it. There are shorter education programs that will better prepare you for the working world available.
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Prerequisites
Consideration number four for finding your perfect school is prerequisites. These are simply items on a list that are required before beginning the program. When looking into schools, you should also look into their prerequisites to determine what you will need to apply. Will you be required to spend extra time and money on other classes before applying?
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Faculty
Another factor that you should consider is faculty. You can be an exceptional student, but teachers have a great impact on your learning experience and future career. Having the right mentor can make or break your first few years in the profession, especially if you aren’t well prepared for the working world. Try to find a school with faculty that has plenty of experience in the profession and can help answer any questions you might have.
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Career Opportunities
While it’s important that your faculty prepares you for the working world, it’s also important that the program itself is designed to set you up for success upon completion. The best animation schools will give you networking opportunities with professionals in the industry that will aid you in getting your dream job in the future. Your ideal school should have industry partners that will provide you with the most career opportunities.
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Specialties
The final factor that you will want to consider when looking for the best 3D animation schools is the ability to specialize. Animation is a broad career field, so many animators choose to specialize in an area of natural talent. People choose to focus in 2D or 3D, special effects, and more. When searching for your ideal school, try looking into what it will prepare you for: will you be prepared to enter your specialty after completion?
Should You Choose an Online Program?
Now that you know the seven main factors to choosing from the best animation schools for you, you may be wondering if going to an in-person school is worth it. With everything being available online today, there are likely some benefits, right?
Only you can know if an online program is right for you, but you will likely enjoy it if you are looking for a more flexible schedule and decreased costs. With online programs, you can complete the coursework from anywhere and in your own free time. Also, online programs today offer equivalent or better education when compared to traditional programs.
Online programs are specifically designed to help you learn the animation skills that can be used in video game design, movies and shows, and other forms of video media while being a more cost-effective solution.
The Best Online Animation Schools to Apply to
If you’ve decided that online animation schools may be a better route for you, then you should know which school is the gold standard to apply to. Vertex School has an Animation Program that totals 9 months in length. It will teach you everything you need to know about animation, and it will also prepare you for actually securing a job in the field.
At Vertex School, you will not only learn basic skills, but you will also be able to specialize in games, film, XR, or the metaverse after completion. The program is entirely virtual, so you can access it from anywhere in the world. There are live class sessions and also pre-recorded videos available on demand. Along with these classes, there is also one on one live mentorship available for answering any questions you may have.
Not only can you expect a great animation education in a fraction of the time, but you can also expect to spend roughly $90,000 less. You’ll complete the program with better knowledge and be fully prepared to secure your dream job by being paired with professionals in the industry.