Sheridan ranked number one animation school in Canada and second internationally

Sheridan has once again been named the number one animation school in Canada and the second internationally, according to Animation Career Review’s 2022 rankings of the top institutions. The international category excludes schools from the United States.

Animation Career Review surveyed members of nearly 200 institutions and conducted its analysis by assessing academic reputation, admission selectivity, depth and breadth of the program, value as it relates to tuition and indebtedness, and employment data.

Canada’s largest arts school 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. This marks the fourth consecutive year in which Sheridan was the top Canadian school in Animation Career Review's international rankings, and also the fourth straight year in which Sheridan finished first or second overall.

“For more than 50 years, animation has been a cornerstone of our academic programming,” says Dr. Janet Morrison, Sheridan’s President and Vice Chancellor. “We are incredibly honoured to receive this recognition for the fourth year in a row. This ranking is a testament to the creativity and dedication of our faculty members, who continued to provide exceptional instruction to our students even during the pandemic and the shift to remote learning. We are immensely proud of our talented students and graduates who contribute to this legacy and continue to make their mark on this booming industry.”

Graduates of Sheridan’s revered animation program 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.

In 2022, Sheridan alumna Domee Shi (Bachelor of Animation ’11) released her feature film directorial debut, Turning Red, on Disney+ — making her the first woman to solo direct a feature film for Pixar. Shi was awarded the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for her short film, Bao, at the 91st Academy Awards. She became the fifth Sheridan graduate to win an Oscar for an animated film.

In December 2021, Guru Studio released Big Blue, created by alumnus Gyimah Gariba (Bachelor of Animation ’13). The series follows two Black siblings who are out to save their underwater world from an environmental disaster, and is being aired on CBC in Canada, on Nicktoons in the UK and Ireland, ABC Me in Australia, CTC Kids in Russia, and NRK in Norway.

In April 2021, Trevor Jimenez won his second Annie Award for Best Storyboarding in a Feature category for his work on Soul. Five other alumni were nominated for Annies in 2021, and grads worked on all five films nominated for Best Feature: Soul, Onward, The Croods New Age, The Willoughbys and Trolls World Tour.

In February 2020, alumnus Dean DeBlois (Animation ‘90), writer and director of the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Animated Feature category for the third and final installment of his series.

While live-action productions have faced delays during COVID-19, animation studios are busier than ever. Read more about how the industry is adapting during the pandemic.

Pictured above left: Domee Shi (Bachelor of Animation '11) accepting her Oscar for Best Animated Short at the 2019 Academy Awards.