Ringling College of Art and Design

Overview

Ringling College of Art and Design is a private art college in Sarasota, Florida, with a Computer Animation program consistently ranked number one in North America by The Rookies and Animation Magazine. In 2025, The Hollywood Reporter named Ringling one of the top animation schools in the country. The program has won 17 Student Academy Awards, 3 Student Emmys, and 2 Best Student Film awards at SIGGRAPH. Ringling alumni have worked on every Oscar-winning Best Animated Feature since 2003.

The college offers BFA degrees in Computer Animation, Film, Game Art, Motion Design, Illustration, and other visual arts disciplines. The Computer Animation program is the school's flagship, with graduates recruited directly by Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, DreamWorks, Sony Pictures Animation, Netflix, ILM, and other major studios. Faculty members are animation industry veterans with experience at Pixar, Disney, DreamWorks, Blue Sky Studios, Sony Pictures Animation, Netflix, ILM, Paramount Animation, Electronic Arts, and Rockstar Games.

Ringling occupies a campus at 2700 N. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota. Sarasota is not a major production hub, so students seeking studio employment after graduation typically relocate to Los Angeles, San Francisco, or other industry centers. The college supports this transition through studio recruitment events, internship programs, and alumni networks.

Programs Offered

• BFA in Computer Animation - the flagship program, covering 3D modeling, rigging, animation, lighting, and compositing. Students create original films from concept through final render. Four-year degree.
• BFA in Film - live-action film production including directing, cinematography, editing, and sound. Smaller program than animation but benefits from the school's visual culture.
• BFA in Game Art - character design, environment art, and interactive media.
• BFA in Motion Design - graphics, animation, and visual storytelling for broadcast and digital media.
• BFA in Illustration - visual development and concept art with entertainment industry applications.
• BFA in Virtual Reality - VR and immersive media development.
• BFA in Entertainment Design - concept design for film, animation, and theme park industries.
• BFA in Creative Writing - narrative and storytelling for visual media.
• BFA in Graphic Design, Fine Arts, Photography and Imaging, Business of Art and Design - additional arts programs.

Tuition and Fees

For the 2026-2027 academic year, first-year students:

• Tuition: $55,760 ($27,880 per semester)
• Fees (matriculation, student activity, health services, technology): $5,710
• Room and board: $18,510
• Total cost of attendance: $79,980 per year for first-year students living on campus

Program-specific technology fees (years 2-4, per semester):

• Computer Animation: $2,570
• Film: $2,625
• Game Art: $2,565
• Motion Design: $2,570
• Virtual Reality: $2,065
• Entertainment Design: $1,680
• Illustration: $1,480
• First-year technology fee: $1,530 per semester

First-year materials kits range from $100 to $375 depending on the program. Health insurance is $2,181 per year (waivable with proof of coverage). Part-time enrollment is $2,600 per credit hour.

Ringling offers merit-based scholarships. The lower cost of living in Sarasota compared to Los Angeles or New York reduces the total financial commitment, though students should note that relocation to a major production hub after graduation adds a one-time cost.

Equipment and Facilities

The Computer Animation Department has eight state-of-the-art computer labs plus three open labs. The school operates a render farm with thousands of cores, capable of rendering multiple feature films simultaneously on campus. This infrastructure allows students to produce thesis films at a technical quality level that approaches professional studio output.

The Film program has access to equipment for live-action production, including cameras, lighting, and editing facilities. Film students collaborate with animation and game art students on interdisciplinary projects, which reflects the increasing convergence of live-action and animation in the industry.

Senior thesis films from Ringling regularly win Student Academy Awards and screen at major animation festivals. The thesis showcase is the primary recruitment event where studios including Pixar, Disney, DreamWorks, and others actively scout graduating talent.

What Students Should Know

The Computer Animation BFA is rigorous and technically demanding. Students should expect intensive coursework in both artistic fundamentals and software proficiency. The program operates with a professional pipeline model, teaching students the technical workflow of a production studio rather than just artistic skills. This pipeline training is what makes Ringling graduates immediately employable at major studios.

The Film program is smaller and less well known than the animation offerings. Students interested primarily in live-action filmmaking should weigh Ringling's strong visual culture and equipment access against the fact that the school's industry connections and recruitment pipeline are oriented toward animation and visual effects rather than live-action film.

Sarasota is not a major production hub. Networking and job placement require proactive effort to connect with studios in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, or other industry centers. The college supports this through studio recruitment events and internship programs, but students should not expect local industry connections comparable to schools in LA or New York.

Application requirements include a portfolio. Ringling accepts applications on a rolling basis with priority deadlines. Students should check the Ringling website for current portfolio requirements and deadlines for their specific program of interest.

Standout Faculty

Ringling's Computer Animation faculty are industry veterans from Pixar, Disney, DreamWorks, and other major studios. The program operates with a professional pipeline model, teaching students the technical workflow of a production studio rather than just artistic skills.

• Steve Hickner - Professor. Co-director of The Prince of Egypt, director of Bee Movie, with credits on Balto and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Teaches animation and storyboarding.
• Tammy Zeitler - Professor. Veteran animator, layout, and storyboard artist with credits on Lilo and Stitch, Animaniacs, Tiny Toon Adventures, Space Jam, Mulan, and Tarzan. Teaches 2D character animation.
• Jeremy Cantor - Professor. Veteran from Insomniac Games and author of Secrets of CG Short Film Production. Teaches computer animation.
• Billy Merritt - Professor. Teaches animation and story at Ringling. Teaches 3D animation and story.
• James Martin - Professor. Background painter and visual development artist at Disney and DreamWorks, with credits on The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Shrek, and How to Train Your Dragon. Teaches illustration and visual development.

Notable Alumni

Ringling alumni have worked on every Oscar-winning Best Animated Feature since 2003. Recent alumni credits include:

• Brad Booker ('95) - Won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko at the 96th Academy Awards.
• Jeff Fowler ('02) - Director of the Sonic the Hedgehog films.
• Patrick Osborne ('03) - Oscar-winning director of Disney's Feast, and Netflix's Love Death + Robots.

• Joshua Beveridge ('04) - Animation Director on KPop Demon Hunters.
• Lindsey Olivares ('09) - Production Designer on Netflix's Mitchells vs. the Machines.
• Michael Yates ('14) - Creator, Writer, Director on Pixar's Win or Lose.
• Echo Wu ('16) - Creator, Writer, Director on Netflix's Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld.
• Stanley Moore ('10) - Creator, Writer, Studio Owner on Netflix's In Your Dreams.

Ringling alumni have worked on recent features including Inside Out 2 (24 alumni), Moana 2 (12 alumni), The Wild Robot (15 alumni), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (12 alumni), Encanto (18 alumni), Elemental (14 alumni), Nimona (18 alumni), Zootopia (20 alumni), and Incredibles 2 (20 alumni).

Student Film Examples

Ringling's Computer Animation program has won 17 Student Academy Awards, 3 Student Emmys, and 2 Best Student Film awards at SIGGRAPH. Senior thesis films from Ringling regularly win Student Academy Awards and screen at major animation festivals. The thesis showcase is the primary recruitment event where studios including Pixar, Disney, DreamWorks, and others actively scout graduating talent.

See Also

For comparing film school options and career paths, see Film School vs Self-Taught and Film Schools With Best Industry Placement Rates. To estimate your student film production costs, use the Budget Breakdown Allocator. For planning rendering and storage needs for animation projects, use the Storage and Footage Calculator. To calculate frame rate decisions for animated projects, use the Frame Rate Conversion Calculator.