AnimSchool FAQ

AnimSchool is an accredited online school for 3D animation skills. AnimSchool is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC).

We offer two 12-month certificate programs, each requiring 9-12 months of pre-requisites. The "3D Character" Program Track teaches modeling and rigging. The "3D Animation" Program Track teaches animation.

AnimSchool is for new students who want to learn the core skills involved in high-end 3D animation: 1. making 3D characters, or 2. making them move and act.
It's also for working 3D animators and modelers/riggers who need a boost in their career, and just want to take select classes from senior and supervisor-level teachers.

Each term is 11 weeks. There are four terms per year. Each Track & Program normally includes 7 or 8 terms.

The classes are scheduled for about 90 minutes during which the instructor teaches the students through lecture and live workflow demonstrations. Most classes will also hold a 1-3 hour "Critique Time", at another day and/or time when the teacher reviews each student's assignment. The length of that session depends on how many students there are to review. Students may choose to stay for other students' critiques.
For small classes, the Critique Time may combined with the regular Class Time because the lecture and critiques can be accomplished within the other two to three-hour Class Time.

The instructor gives a live lecture each week. Many courses also offer additional pre-recorded videos explaining curriculum concepts and tools.
Each class is recorded for later access while an active student or graduate of AnimSchool. Our many supplemental review sessions and live art classes are all recorded well and become part of the permanent library for active students and graduates.

Yes! For students who don't need to enter a full 21-24 month course of study, they can sign up for individual classes to give them a needed boost in their career. However, students have to be approved by AnimSchool's Review Board to enroll in the selected course.

Classes normally begin the first few days of January, April, July, October each year. Refer to the Academic Calendar

New students can begin at any term of the year.

AnimSchool provides exceptional character rigs for animators to use for each assignment.

Students enrolled in AnimSchool are eligible to download an educational copy of Autodesk Maya for free while they are a student.

We typically approve 40 - 60 new students each term, joining our student body of about 250 students.

Tuition for each 11-week term costs US $1620 or $540 per month. Spreading the payments to $362 per month is possible with our EasyPay payment program. The 7-term program costs $11,340 (or more if classes need to be repeated, or the Introduction to Maya software course is also needed) plus an application fee of $125. See the Tuition page for more details.

Financial Aid for those who qualify. AnimSchool partner ClimbCredit offers student loans for our students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents only. International students may also qualify with a U.S. co-borrower. If you qualify, get pre-approved for a ClimbCredit student loan here.

More information about student loans here.

For options not limited to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, we also offer Monthly payment plans and our Easy-Pay Program is available for Track/Program students.

Fast “basic broadband” internet access is absolutely required. For best results, students need download speeds of 1.5 Mbps or more and upload speeds of 1.2 Mbps or more.
To find out the speeds you are experiencing on your computer and connection, go to a website such as www.speedtest.net and hit the Begin Test button.

The Easy-Pay program is a way to spread out the cost of tuition to bring the (per-month) cost down to $362 per month. Over 33 months, students take four one-term breaks from classes, during which they continue to access the AnimSchool website and improve their skills, but aren't enrolled in classes. Each month during these breaks as well as three months before, students make 33 total payments. Note that completing an AnimSchool program this way takes 33 months, 12 months longer than the usual 21 months. See the AnimSchool Catalog for more information.

AnimSchool Graduation and Employment Rates for the most recent period:
Reporting Period March 2019
Graduates starting programs during the year: June 2016-May 2017

Employment Rates (graduates employed in the animation field within the reporting period, ~6 months after graduating):
Overall Employment Rate: 86%
30 employed out of 35 available for employment from the most recent period.
3D Animation Program (12 months): 75%
3D Character Program (12 months): 91%

Graduation Rates (students graduate program within 150% of program length):
Overall Graduation Rate: 54%
36 graduated out of 65 available for graduation from the most recent period.
3D Animation Program (12 months): 47%
3D Character Program (12 months): 81%
Overall: 36 graduated out of 65 available for graduation from that period.


Easy Pay Programs were a small cohort of 1 due to the transition from our previous 21 month program. We are just beginning to be able to report on the new EasyPay results.
Reporting Period March 2019

Graduates starting programs during the year: September 2015-August 2016
Graduation Rates (students graduate program within 150% of program length):
Easy Pay 3D Animation Program (18 months): 0 out of 1: 0%

Note: The Programs are 12 months in length after 9-12 months in preparatory classes to qualify. The entire courses of study are 21-24 months in length.
The EasyPay Programs are 18 months in length after 15 months of preparatory classes to qualify.

In compliance with all of the state regulations that apply to students throughout the United States, AnimSchool is unable to accept students from the following states. For more information you can click on the State's name for details about the regulations preventing students from applying from a specific state.

Current Application Blocks

• Alabama

  Some states refuse their residents to participate in any online classes from schools in other states. Most states have a process to waive those requirements for remote online classes from outside their states, but a few do not. Restrictions from the state of Alabama mean that we do not accept students residing in Alabama.

  This is the case for all or most online classes, but many online schools are unaware of these laws.

  These regulations are purportedly to protect Alabama students. If you want to contact your state's representatives to discuss this limitation, you may contact:

  Annette Funderburk
  Private School Licensure Specialist
  Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education
  Office of Private School Licensing Division
  334-293-4651
  Annette.funderburk@dpe.edu

• Delaware

  Some states refuse their residents to participate in any online classes from schools in other states. Most states have a process to waive those requirements for remote online classes from outside their states, but a few do not. Restrictions from the state of Delaware mean that we do not accept students residing in Delaware.

  This is the case for all or most online classes, but many online schools are unaware of these laws.

  These regulations are purportedly to protect Delaware students. If you want to contact your state's representatives to discuss this limitation, you may contact:

  Teacher & Administrator Quality Development
  Delaware Department of Education
  302-857-3388
  IHE@doe.k12.de.us
  http://dpr.delaware.gov/boards/investigativeunit/filecomplaint.shtml

• Maryland

  Some states refuse their residents to participate in any online classes from schools in other states. Most states have a process to waive those requirements for remote online classes from outside their states, but a few do not. Restrictions from the state of Maryland mean that we do not accept students residing in Maryland.

  This is the case for all or most online classes, but many online schools are unaware of these laws.

  These regulations are purportedly to protect Maryland students. If you want to contact your state's representatives to discuss this limitation, you may contact:

  Monica Wheatley
  Associate Director of Collegiate Affairs
  Office of Academic Affairs
  Maryland Higher Education Commission
  6 North Liberty Street
  Baltimore, MD 21201
  (410) 767-3300
  monica.wheatley@maryland.gov
  

• Michigan

  Some states refuse their residents to participate in any online classes from schools in other states. Most states have a process to waive those requirements for remote online classes from outside their states, but a few do not. Restrictions from the state of Michigan mean that we do not accept students residing in Michigan

  This is the case for all or most online classes, but many online schools are unaware of these laws.

  These regulations are purportedly to protect Michigan students. If you want to contact your state's representatives to discuss this limitation, you may contact:

  Michael Beamish, Director
  Licensing Division
  State of Michigan
  Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
  Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing
  PO Box 30018
  Lansing, MI 48909

  Tel. 517-241-6806
  Fax. 517-373-2162

• Nebraska

  Some states refuse their residents to participate in any online classes from schools in other states. Most states have a process to waive those requirements for remote online classes from outside their states, but a few do not. Restrictions from the state of Nebraska mean that we do not accept students residing in Nebraska

  This is the case for all or most online classes, but many online schools are unaware of these laws.

  These regulations are purportedly to protect Nebraska students. If you want to contact your state's representatives to discuss this limitation, you may contact:

  Brad Dirksen
  Program Director
  Nebraska Department of Education
  402-471-4825
  Brad.dirksen@nebraska.gov

• New Mexico

  Some states refuse their residents to participate in any online classes from schools in other states. Most states have a process to waive those requirements for remote online classes from outside their states, but a few do not. Restrictions from the state of New Mexico mean that we do not accept students residing in New Mexico

  This is the case for all or most online classes, but many online schools are unaware of these laws.

  These regulations are purportedly to protect New Mexico students. If you want to contact your state's representatives to discuss this limitation, you may contact:

  Diane Vigil-Hayes
  School Administrator and Compliance Officer
  New Mexico Higher Education Department
  Private Postsecondary Schools Division
  2044 Galisteo Street, Suite 4
  Santa Fe, NM 87505
  Direct # 505-476-8418
  www.hed.state.nm.us
  diane.vigil@state.nm.us

• Oklahoma

  Some states refuse their residents to participate in any online classes from schools in other states. Most states have a process to waive those requirements for remote online classes from outside their states, but a few do not. Restrictions from the state of Oklahoma mean that we do not accept students residing in Oklahoma

  This is the case for all or most online classes, but many online schools are unaware of these laws.

  These regulations are purportedly to protect Oklahoma students. If you want to contact your state's representatives to discuss this limitation, you may contact:

  Nora Ann House, MBA, CPA
  Director
  Oklahoma Board of Private Vocational Schools
  3700 N. Classen Blvd., Ste. 250
  Oklahoma City, OK 73118
  Telephone: 405/528-3370
  Facsimile: 405/528-3366
  Email: nhouse@obpvs.ok.gov

• Wisconsin

  Some states refuse their residents to participate in any online classes from schools in other states. Most states have a process to waive those requirements for remote online classes from outside their states, but a few do not. Restrictions from the state of Wisconsin mean that we do not accept students residing in Wisconsin

  This is the case for all or most online classes, but many online schools are unaware of these laws.

  These regulations are purportedly to protect Wisconsin students. If you want to contact your state's representatives to discuss this limitation, you may contact:

  David C. Dies
  Executive Secretary
  Wisconsin Educational Approval Board
  608-267-7733
  david.dies@eab.wisconsin.gov

• Wyoming

  Some states refuse their residents to participate in any online classes from schools in other states. Most states have a process to waive those requirements for remote online classes from outside their states, but a few do not. Restrictions from the state of Wyoming mean that we do not accept students residing in Wyoming

  This is the case for all or most online classes, but many online schools are unaware of these laws.

  These regulations are purportedly to protect Wyoming students. If you want to contact your state's representatives to discuss this limitation, you may contact:

  Elaine Marces
  Private School Program Manager
  Wyoming Department of Education
  307-777-6210
  elaine.marces@wyo.gov

Temporary Application Blocks

• Georgia

  Some states refuse their residents to participate in any online classes from non-accredited schools in other states. Most states have a process to waive those requirements for remote online classes from outside their states, but a few do not. Restrictions from the state of Georgia mean that we do not currently accept students residing in Georgia. However, they will allow us to accept students when our accreditation process is complete.

  This is the case for all or most online classes, but many online schools are unaware of these laws.

  These regulations are purportedly to protect Georgia students.

• North Dakota

  Some states refuse their residents to participate in any online classes from non-accredited schools in other states. Most states have a process to waive those requirements for remote online classes from outside their states, but a few do not. Restrictions from the state of North Dakota mean that we do not currently accept students residing in North Dakota. However, they will allow us to accept students when our accreditation process is complete.

  This is the case for all or most online classes, but many online schools are unaware of these laws.

  These regulations are purportedly to protect North Dakota students.

AnimSchool is working to be able to accept students from the States on the temporary block list now that the school is nationally accredited.