Best Online Master’s in Animation Illustration

Badge for BEST ONLINE MASTER'S IN ANIMATION ILLUSTRATION

By Dr. James Barham

Published: Aug 26, 2021
Updated: Nov 22, 2023

Find top-ranked online master’s in animation illustration degree programs for student wanting to explore a career paths as animators, studio executives, technical directors, and illustrators.

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Animation Illustration Degrees

Students earning a master’s degree in animation illustration will have the opportunity to further develop their visual language and creative abilities. With both online and on-campus programs available, graduate students can find a path that is compatible with existing personal and professional responsibilities.

Most programs specialize in areas like character animation, illustration, and visual effects. Students may take classes about the production process, concept art, book covers, vector illustration, motion, and more.

In addition to the roughly 60 credits needed to finish the degree, students will likely also complete a thesis project, which often doubles as a preliminary professional portfolio. Most programs take one to two years to complete.

Graduates often explore career options as animators, studio executives, technical directors, and illustrators.

Best Online Master's in Animation Illustration Degree Programs — Download Badge

How do we determine the best online animation illustration master's degree programs?

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

Best Online Master’s in Animation Illustration Degree Programs

#1
Academy of Art University
San Francisco , CA
#1 Best Online Associate in Game Development #1 Best Online Associate in Animation Illustration #1 Best Online Bachelor's in Animation Illustration #2 Best Online Bachelor's in Music Degree Programs Ranked for 2024
Tuition + fees
$27K
Graduation
44%
Student body
10K
Career Outlook for Animation Illustration degree at Academy of Art University
Cost of Degree: $30,232
Expenses: $24,132
Starting Salary: $27,131
Salary after 4 years: $39,532
Cost Recoup Time: 13 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
Online Degrees
MA in Animation & Visual Effects

Required Credits: 36
Completion time: 2-3 years
Format: Online
MFA in Animation & Visual Effects

Required Credits: 63
Completion time: 3.5-4.5 years
Format: Online
MA in Game Development

Concentrations

Animation for Games

Required Credits: 36
Completion time: 2-3 years
Format: Online
MFA in Game Development

Concentrations

Animation for Games

Required Credits: 63
Completion time: 3.5-4.5 years
Format: Online
MA in Illustration

Required Credits: 36
Completion time: 2-3 years
Format: Online
MFA in Illustration

Required Credits: 63
Completion time: 3.5-4.5 years
Format: Online
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#2
Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah , GA
#2 Best Online Bachelor’s of Graphic Arts Degree Programs for 2024 #2 Best Online Master’s in Game Development & Design #3 Best Online Bachelor's of Game Design Degree Programs for 2024 #6 Best Online Colleges in Georgia 2024
Other Rankings
- #8 Best Online Master's Programs in Georgia 2024
Tuition + fees
$40K
Acceptance
82%
Graduation
73%
Student body
18K
Median SAT/ACT
1170/24
Career Outlook for Animation Illustration degree at Savannah College of Art and Design
Cost of Degree: $40,550
Expenses: $20,820
Starting Salary: $23,747
Salary after 4 years: $34,601
Cost Recoup Time: 15 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
Online Degrees
MA in Arts

Concentrations

Animation
Illustration

Required Credits: 45
Completion time: 6 months
Format: Online
MFA in Arts

Concentrations

Animation
Illustration

Required Credits: 90
Completion time: 12 months
Format: Online
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Career Outlook for Students with Animation Illustration Degree

Go to Degree Finder tool

Digital Arts

Degree Level: Master's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Cost of Degree*: $10,239
Avg. Expenses*: $18,015
Avg. Starting Salary*: $59,339
Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 9 years
Job Growth: 4.45%
Number of Jobs: 782,100
* denotes ‘annually’
** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Art Directors	6.00%	$96,017
Special Effects Artists and Animators	8.17%	$78,763
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary	3.15%	$71,919
Artists and Related Workers, All Other	3.57%	$55,275
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators	5.15%	$54,845
Graphic Designers	3.28%	$52,882
Craft Artists	4.35%	$49,462
Photographers	4.10%	$43,737

Average Career Salaries

Bottom 10%	Median	Top 10%
$37,026	$59,132	$100,198

Promising Job Markets

State	Cost of Living	Avg. Salary
#2 New York	5% higher than average	$86,461
#3 Georgia	13% higher than average	$68,085
#4 California	26% higher than average	$92,210
#5 Illinois	7% higher than average	$66,304
#6 North Carolina	11% higher than average	$62,189
#7 Arkansas	16% higher than average	$57,846
#8 Missouri	16% higher than average	$57,055
#9 Virginia	5% higher than average	$64,034
#10 New Jersey	13% higher than average	$75,562
#11 Pennsylvania	5% higher than average	$63,403
#12 Ohio	14% higher than average	$55,640
#13 Washington	7% higher than average	$68,923
#14 Vermont	13% higher than average	$71,953
#15 Minnesota	4% higher than average	$59,417
#16 West Virginia	11% higher than average	$55,140
#17 Alabama	13% higher than average	$53,037
#18 Mississippi	18% higher than average	$49,512
#19 Oregon	11% higher than average	$66,682
#20 District of Columbia	49% higher than average	$89,450
#21 Maryland	18% higher than average	$70,774
#22 Oklahoma	13% higher than average	$51,881
#23 Connecticut	18% higher than average	$70,142
#24 Arizona	5% higher than average	$56,334
#25 Kentucky	14% higher than average	$50,575
#26 Rhode Island	20% higher than average	$70,493
#27 Louisiana	9% higher than average	$53,217
#28 Michigan	15% higher than average	$49,908
#29 Wisconsin	7% higher than average	$54,715
#30 New Mexico	7% higher than average	$53,505
#31 Montana	3% higher than average	$54,982
#32 Indiana	11% higher than average	$50,534
#33 Massachusetts	24% higher than average	$70,127
#34 Utah	4% higher than average	$53,808
#35 Texas	10% higher than average	$49,852
#36 Tennessee	14% higher than average	$47,680
#37 Colorado	3% higher than average	$57,369
#38 New Hampshire	13% higher than average	$62,089
#39 Idaho	7% higher than average	$50,814
#40 Kansas	9% higher than average	$49,897
#41 Maine	9% higher than average	$58,387
#42 Nevada	5% higher than average	$55,768
#43 Nebraska	6% higher than average	$48,756
#44 Florida	6% higher than average	$48,708
#45 Wyoming	2% higher than average	$49,756
#46 Delaware	2% higher than average	$51,600
#47 South Carolina	8% higher than average	$45,992
#48 South Dakota	7% higher than average	$45,638
#49 Iowa	9% higher than average	$44,730
#50 Alaska	23% higher than average	$58,816
#51 North Dakota	average	$43,654
#52 Hawaii	40% higher than average	$51,777

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Art Directors	$96,017
Special Effects Artists and Animators	$78,763
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary	$71,919
Artists and Related Workers, All Other	$55,275
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators	$54,845
Graphic Designers	$52,882
Craft Artists	$49,462
Photographers	$43,737

Data from The Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Department of Education College Scorecard, The Department of Education NCES, and The Council for Community and Economic Research.

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