Animation · Tennessee
Animation colleges in Tennessee
CampusPin lists 62 U.S. colleges in Tennessee 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 Tennessee that offer Animation
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, TN · University · Public
Tuition
$8,675
Acceptance
96%
Enrollment
8,723
Baptist Health Sciences University
Memphis, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$13,846
Acceptance
68%
Enrollment
695
Belmont University
Nashville, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$41,320
Acceptance
96%
Enrollment
8,838
Bethel University
McKenzie, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$18,168
Acceptance
97%
Enrollment
1,926
Bryan College-Dayton
Dayton, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$18,900
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
965
Carson-Newman University
Jefferson City, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$34,700
Acceptance
68%
Enrollment
2,440
Chattanooga State Community College
Chattanooga, TN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$4,550
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
4,689
Christian Brothers University
Memphis, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$37,300
Acceptance
88%
Enrollment
1,792
Cleveland State Community College
Cleveland, TN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$4,530
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
1,967
Columbia State Community College
Columbia, TN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$4,904
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
3,679
Cumberland University
Lebanon, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$27,840
Acceptance
67%
Enrollment
2,473
Dyersburg State Community College
Dyersburg, TN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$4,540
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
1,923
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, TN · University · Public
Tuition
$9,950
Acceptance
87%
Enrollment
12,760
Fisk University
Nashville, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$24,298
Acceptance
58%
Enrollment
1,005
Fortis Institute-Nashville
Nashville, TN · Community College · Private
Tuition
$15,237
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
392
Freed-Hardeman University
Henderson, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$25,000
Acceptance
91%
Enrollment
1,660
Jackson State Community College
Jackson, TN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$4,516
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
2,211
Johnson University
Knoxville, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$20,318
Acceptance
54%
Enrollment
945
King University
Bristol, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$34,800
Acceptance
54%
Enrollment
1,194
Lane College
Jackson, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$11,790
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
822
Lee University
Cleveland, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$22,690
Acceptance
72%
Enrollment
3,139
Lincoln Memorial University
Harrogate, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$26,150
Acceptance
59%
Enrollment
5,687
Lipscomb University
Nashville, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$38,824
Acceptance
67%
Enrollment
4,798
Maryville College
Maryville, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$38,514
Acceptance
66%
Enrollment
1,033
Memphis Theological Seminary
Memphis, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$18,841
Acceptance
72%
Enrollment
8,548
Mid-South Christian College
Memphis, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$11,905
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
31
Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia Inc
Madison, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$18,841
Acceptance
89%
Enrollment
5,983
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN · University · Public
Tuition
$9,506
Acceptance
68%
Enrollment
18,630
Milligan University
Milligan, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$39,350
Acceptance
70%
Enrollment
1,149
Motlow State Community College
Tullahoma, TN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$4,536
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
4,055
Nashville State Community College
Nashville, TN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$4,498
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
4,931
North Central Institute
Clarksville, TN · Community College · Private
Tuition
$18,841
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
55
Northeast State Community College
Blountville, TN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$4,542
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
4,214
Nossi College of Art and Design
Nashville, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$20,350
Acceptance
43%
Enrollment
278
Omega Graduate School
Dayton, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$18,841
Acceptance
40%
Enrollment
1,811
Pellissippi State Community College
Knoxville, TN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$4,576
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
6,391
Pentecostal Theological Seminary
Cleveland, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$18,841
Acceptance
83%
Enrollment
385
Remington College-Memphis Campus
Memphis, TN · Community College · Private
Tuition
$20,047
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
391
Rhodes College
Memphis, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$54,892
Acceptance
50%
Enrollment
1,947
Richmont Graduate University
Chattanooga, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$18,841
Acceptance
78%
Enrollment
1,106
Roane State Community College
Harriman, TN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$4,762
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
3,203
Southern Adventist University
Collegedale, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$25,590
Acceptance
67%
Enrollment
3,000
Southern College of Optometry
Memphis, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$18,841
Acceptance
79%
Enrollment
4,414
Southwest Tennessee Community College
Memphis, TN · Community College · Public
Tuition
$4,550
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
5,207
Tennessee State University
Nashville, TN · University · Public
Tuition
$8,568
Acceptance
93%
Enrollment
7,931
Tennessee Technological University
Cookeville, TN · University · Public
Tuition
$10,084
Acceptance
83%
Enrollment
9,774
Tennessee Wesleyan University
Athens, TN · University · Private
Tuition
$29,264
Acceptance
59%
Enrollment
1,049
The University of Tennessee Southern
Pulaski, TN · University · Public
Tuition
$10,506
Acceptance
83%
Enrollment
859
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Chattanooga, TN · University · Public
Tuition
$10,144
Acceptance
77%
Enrollment
11,276
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Knoxville, TN · University · Public
Tuition
$13,484
Acceptance
46%
Enrollment
36,184
Animation programs in Tennessee: by the numbers
A quick comparison of the 50 schools (of 62 total) listed above, drawn from each institution's published IPEDS data.
Schools listed
62
Public / private
19 / 31
Universities / 2-year
36 / 14
Cities represented
28
In-state tuition range
$4,498–$54,892
Median in-state tuition
$18,841
Lowest published in-state tuition
Nashville State Community College
$4,498
Most selective
Omega Graduate School
40% acceptance
Largest by enrollment
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
36,184 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 62+ Animation programs in Tennessee by tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting.