About RIT’s School of Film and Animation

Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Film and Animation (SOFA), where the timeless art of film making meets cutting-edge technology, is consistently ranked among the top schools in the country.

In rankings earlier this year by Animation Career Review (ACR), a leading online resource of information for aspiring animation and game design professionals, RIT placed:

• No. 10 nationally (among the top 5 percent of schools considered and up from No. 13 in 2017).
• No. 9 nationally among private schools and colleges (top 8 percent).
• No. 5 on the East Coast; No. 3 in New York state.
• No. 7 nationally among schools offering an animation-related MFA.
• No. 9 nationally among schools offering an animation-related BFA.

SOFA receives high marks for academic reputation, admission selectivity, the program’s depth, breadth and faculty, value as it relates to tuition, and geographic location. Students in the school are well represented in RIT’s Honors Program, complete scores of internships each year; present papers at top industry conferences, and annually win top prizes at film festivals, including the prestigious Student Academy Awards.

Graduates of the school’s programs have gone onto top studios and organizations such as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Apple, Blue Sky Studios, Disney Animation Studios, Electronic Arts, DreamWorks, IMAX, Laika Studios, NASA, Netflix, Nickelodeon, The Third Floor, and Industrial Light and Magic.

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.

The school takes pride in program offerings that are designed to give aspiring animators and filmmakers the ability to grow and evolve as both students and creators.