RIT’s School of Film and Animation ranked No. 16 nationally

RIT’s School of Film and Animation (SOFA) has been ranked among the top 50 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 placed No. 16 nationally (among the top 8 percent of schools) and No. 15 nationally among private schools and colleges (top 20 percent); No. 9 nationally among schools offering an animation-related MFA; and No. 13 nationally among schools offering an animation-related BFA.

In preparing its 2024 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; employment data; the program’s depth, breadth, and faculty; value as it relates to tuition; graduation rate; and retention rate.

The publication cited SOFA’s Study Away: LA program as one of the many opportunities provided by the school that benefits and enhances student education.

“Graduates of Rochester Institute of Technology enjoy an impressive 92 percent employment rate. School of Film and Animation alumni are prepared to pursue careers across the creative, technical, medical, architecture, and legal industries,” the publication writes.

The publication added that, in addition to the impressive employment rate, SOFA alumni are hired by prominent companies and studios such as Industrial Light & Magic, Disney Animation Studios, Lucasfilm, Electronic Arts, Dolby, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, and Sony.

“SOFA’s animation program continues to prepare our students for the industry, where our state-of-the-art facilities, award-winning faculty, and internship program in LA are building blocks toward our students’ futures,” said Shanti Thakur, director of SOFA in RIT’s College of Art and Design. “When I speak with SOFA alumni in LA, across the board, they shared how valuable their time was at RIT.”

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.