Animation · Minnesota
Animation colleges in Minnesota
CampusPin lists 58 U.S. colleges in Minnesota that offer Animation programs. Compare tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment in the table below, every figure links back to the institution's official IPEDS data.
Animation is a creative-technical major that teaches you to bring characters, objects, and effects to life through computer imagery, suited to artists who think in motion and detail.
Schools in Minnesota that offer Animation
Academy College
Bloomington, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$18,252
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
112
Adler Graduate School
Minnetonka, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$19,038
Acceptance
44%
Enrollment
2,127
Alexandria Technical & Community College
Alexandria, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$6,213
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
1,438
Anoka-Ramsey Community College
Coon Rapids, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$5,682
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
3,983
Augsburg University
Minneapolis, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$43,942
Acceptance
77%
Enrollment
3,145
Bemidji State University
Bemidji, MN · University · Public
Tuition
$10,164
Acceptance
71%
Enrollment
3,436
Bethany Lutheran College
Mankato, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$30,010
Acceptance
51%
Enrollment
734
Bethel University
Saint Paul, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$18,168
Acceptance
97%
Enrollment
1,926
Bethlehem College & Seminary
Minneapolis, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$7,144
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
194
Capella University
Minneapolis, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$14,436
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
43,911
Central Lakes College-Brainerd
Brainerd, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$6,209
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
1,486
College of Saint Benedict
Saint Joseph, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$53,884
Acceptance
91%
Enrollment
1,433
Concordia College at Moorhead
Moorhead, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$30,020
Acceptance
63%
Enrollment
1,790
Concordia University-Saint Paul
Saint Paul, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$25,000
Acceptance
75%
Enrollment
5,494
Crown College
Saint Bonifacius, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$30,200
Acceptance
63%
Enrollment
1,137
Dakota County Technical College
Rosemount, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$6,419
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
2,083
Dunwoody College of Technology
Minneapolis, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$25,659
Acceptance
98%
Enrollment
1,417
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
Cloquet, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$5,999
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
457
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$54,310
Acceptance
62%
Enrollment
1,930
Hamline University
Saint Paul, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$48,311
Acceptance
90%
Enrollment
2,407
Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School
Center City, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$19,038
Acceptance
72%
Enrollment
7,530
Hennepin Technical College
Brooklyn Park, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$5,881
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
2,827
Herzing University-Minneapolis
St. Louis Park, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$13,420
Acceptance
94%
Enrollment
751
Inver Hills Community College
Inver Grove Heights, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$6,007
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
2,203
Lake Superior College
Duluth, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$5,786
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
2,456
Luther Seminary
Saint Paul, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$19,038
Acceptance
49%
Enrollment
7,553
Macalester College
Saint Paul, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$64,908
Acceptance
28%
Enrollment
2,131
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
Rochester, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$3,257
Acceptance
39%
Enrollment
1,480
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, MN · University · Public
Tuition
$9,780
Acceptance
96%
Enrollment
5,732
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Minneapolis, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$43,824
Acceptance
48%
Enrollment
811
Minneapolis Community and Technical College
Minneapolis, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$6,128
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
4,816
Minnesota North College
Hibbing, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$6,004
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
1,942
Minnesota State Community and Technical College
Fergus Falls, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$5,900
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
2,875
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Moorhead, MN · University · Public
Tuition
$10,336
Acceptance
53%
Enrollment
4,117
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Mankato, MN · University · Public
Tuition
$9,490
Acceptance
91%
Enrollment
13,137
Mitchell Hamline School of Law
Saint Paul, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$19,038
Acceptance
62%
Enrollment
4,769
Normandale Community College
Bloomington, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$6,321
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
6,040
North Central University
Minneapolis, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$29,460
Acceptance
91%
Enrollment
921
North Hennepin Community College
Brooklyn Park, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$5,050
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
3,299
Northland Community and Technical College
Thief River Falls, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$6,262
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
1,382
Rasmussen University-Minnesota
St. Cloud, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$10,899
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
8,802
Ridgewater College
Willmar, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$6,109
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
2,048
Riverland Community College
Austin, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$6,250
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
1,895
Rochester Community and Technical College
Rochester, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$6,359
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
3,122
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN · University · Public
Tuition
$10,117
Acceptance
95%
Enrollment
7,265
Saint Johns University
Collegeville, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$53,942
Acceptance
90%
Enrollment
1,611
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Winona, MN · University · Private
Tuition
$43,160
Acceptance
89%
Enrollment
3,817
Saint Paul College
Saint Paul, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$6,318
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
3,607
South Central College
North Mankato, MN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$6,146
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
1,890
Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall, MN · University · Public
Tuition
$10,304
Acceptance
69%
Enrollment
2,485
Animation programs in Minnesota: by the numbers
A quick comparison of the 50 schools (of 58 total) listed above, drawn from each institution's published IPEDS data.
Schools listed
58
Public / private
25 / 25
Universities / 2-year
31 / 19
Cities represented
32
In-state tuition range
$3,257–$64,908
Median in-state tuition
$10,234
Lowest published in-state tuition
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
$3,257
Most selective
Macalester College
28% acceptance
Largest by enrollment
Capella University
43,911 students
Figures reflect the schools currently listed and each institution's most recent reported data. Verify current tuition and admissions details with the school before applying.
What you'll study in a Animation program
- Drawing fundamentals and figure study for movement and gesture
- Principles of animation including timing, weight, and squash-and-stretch
- Dimensional modeling, rigging, and character setup
- Texturing, lighting, and rendering of digital scenes
- Storyboarding, storytelling, and previsualization
- Motion graphics and visual-effects compositing
- Computer-graphics concepts and scripting for animation pipelines
- Sound, dialogue, and audio synchronization for animated work
- Studio production courses culminating in a portfolio reel and capstone film
Where a Animation degree can lead
- Animator
- 3D Animator
- Motion Graphics Designer
- Character Designer
- Visual Effects Artist
- Storyboard Artist
Typical pay: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 special effects artists and animators median $99,800).
Animation students learn to create moving images and visual effects using computer software alongside hand drawing, photography, video, and sound. The work blends art and technology: you study how bodies move, how light and timing shape a scene, and how to model, rig, and animate digital characters frame by frame. Coursework spans drawing and figure study, storyboarding and storytelling, dimensional modeling, texturing and lighting, compositing, and the basics of programming and computer graphics that drive animation tools. Unlike a film or general media production major, Animation centers on building and manipulating imagery itself rather than directing live action, and unlike a computer science degree, it treats code and graphics techniques as tools for visual expression instead of the primary object of study.
Animators commonly enter the field with a bachelor's degree, and programs are studio-based: you spend much of your time in production courses and labs producing reels, short pieces, and a capstone or thesis film that becomes a portfolio you show to employers. There is no general license to practice animation, though students should verify any programmatic accreditation and confirm specific software, equipment, and internship expectations with each program. Graduates work in film and television studios, game development companies, advertising and motion-graphics shops, software and visualization firms, and as freelancers, contributing to feature films, series, commercials, games, and interactive media.
In federal data for the closely related occupation of special effects artists and animators, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $99,800 and projects employment to grow about 1.6% from 2024 to 2034; a bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.
Animation in other states
Find more Animation schools
Use CampusPin's filter-first search to narrow 58+ Animation programs in Minnesota by tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting.