RIT’s School of Film and Animation ranked No. 12 nationally

Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Film and Animation (SoFA) is once again ranked among the top animation schools in the country by Animation Career Review, a leading online resource of information for aspiring animation and game design professionals.

In separate rankings, RIT places No. 12 nationally (among the top 7 percent of schools); No. 11 nationally among private schools and colleges (top 15 percent); No. 5 on the East Coast; No. 4 in New York state; No. 7 nationally among schools offering an animation-related MFA; and No. 10 nationally among schools offering an animation-related BFA.

In preparing its 2022 rankings, the website considered nearly 200 U.S. schools that offer programs geared toward animation. As it has in years past, SoFA received high marks for academic reputation; admission selectivity; the program’s depth, breadth and faculty; value as it relates to tuition; and geographic location.

It also was recognized for providing RIT students with access to the world-class MAGIC Center and MAGIC Spell Studios, including a 7,000-square-foot sound stage and other specialty spaces that rival those found in New York City and Los Angeles.

“Graduates of Rochester Institute of Technology can be found in a variety of positions at Lucasfilm, Electronic Arts, Dolby, Nickelodeon, Sony, DreamWorks, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Disney, and many others,” the publication writes.

In addition to a BFA and MFA in film and animation, the school offers a BS degree in motion picture science, providing students who attend RIT with one of the broadest curriculum choices in the country.

“All of us in RIT’s School of Film and Animation take pride in the breadth of our program offerings designed to give aspiring animators and filmmakers the ability to grow and develop as both students and creators,” said Shanti Thakur, SoFA’s director in RIT’s College of Art and Design. “It is an oasis of creativity, with state-of-the-art technology, talented faculty, and students.”

Animation Career Review was launched in 2011 as an online source for aspiring animation, design and gaming professionals seeking information on training programs, schools and colleges, software and technology, career profiles, and profiles of the leading industry firms.