Sheridan named Canada’s top animation school for fifth consecutive year

For the fifth consecutive year, Sheridan has been named Canada’s top animation college according to Animation Career Review’s annual rankings.

Sheridan also placed second in Animation Career Review’s international category (which excludes schools from the United States), marking the third straight year Sheridan has placed second in that category, and the fifth year running it has finished in the top two. Only one other Canadian school finished in the top 12 of this year’s international category.

Animation Career Review’s 2023 rankings of the top 50 international animation colleges reviewed nearly 200 schools from across the globe that offer formal degree programs (bachelor’s degree or equivalent). Ranking criteria included academic reputation, employment data, admission selectivity, depth and breadth of programs, and value in relation to tuition and indebtedness.

As Canada’s largest arts school, Sheridan offers a competitive Honours Bachelor of Animation degree — a four-year, hands-on program that emphasizes classical principles of animation in a variety of forms, including 2D digital, 3D and stop motion — as well as post-graduate certificates in computer animation, visual effects and digital creature animation.

“In addition to being a pioneer in animation education — including being the first college in Canada to teach classical animation more than 50 years ago, and then again the first to offer instruction in computer animation — Sheridan proudly continues to be an international leader in this booming industry,” says Dr. Janet Morrison, Sheridan’s President and Vice Chancellor. “This latest recognition from Animation Career Review further cements that reputation and is a testament to the creativity and dedication of our faculty members, exceptional alumni and immensely talented students.”

Graduates of Sheridan’s animation programs regularly go on to work with globally-renowned studios, including Disney, Pixar, Nelvana, Sony Pictures Animation, Guru Studio, Atomic Cartoons, WildBrain and House of Cool. Five animation graduates have won Oscars — including Domee Shi and Chris Williams, both of whom were Academy Award finalists once again this year — and two have won Sci-Tech Oscars.

Alan Barillaro (Animation ’96), another Oscar-winning alumnus and former Pixar director, recently released his debut book Where The Water Takes Us, a story of an 11-year-old youth crossing the threshold into adolescence while spending a summer in Canadian cottage country. Barillaro is currently the Creative Director at global production company Passion Pictures, which intends to develop the novel into a feature film.

Elsewhere, fellow Oscar-winning graduate Jon Klassen (Animation ’95) released his new book The Skull this month. The renowned animator, children’s author and illustrator was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2018.

Learn more about the history and impact of Sheridan’s animation program.