Illustration & Animation rank top in state, highly in Midwest and U.S.

In Animation Career Review’s 2025 college rankings, the Illustration and Animation programs at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design were once again ranked number 1 in the state.

Illustration was also ranked #4 in the Midwest, moving up three spots from 2024, in the Top 50 nationally among all colleges and universities and in the Top 25 nationally among private (independent) schools and colleges.

Lauren Freitag ’25 (Illustration), Senior Exhibition 2025.

MIAD’s Animation track, which is housed in the Illustration major, was in the Top 25 in the Midwest (advancing one spot from 2024) and in the Top 40 nationally among private schools and colleges.

Rankings of more than 200 colleges and universities in the U.S. alone are based on employment data, value related to tuition, graduation and retention rates, academic reputation and depth of program faculty.

Through collaborations with external clients, internships and more, the Illustration major prepares students to thrive as illustrators, art directors, designers and communicators across diverse industries.

Anni Smith ’24 (Illustration), Senior Exhibition 2024.

In 2025, 12 MIAD students and recent graduates received honors from the National Society of Illustrators for student works. Eleri Extence ’25 created designs for limited-edition 20th anniversary merchandise for the Milwaukee Public Market on sale this month. The design was chosen by community vote from three student submissions in a collaboration with MIAD’s Lubar Innovation Center. And award-winning children’s illustrator, author and speaker Aaron Boyd ’93 was named an Artist of the Year by the Milwaukee Arts Board.

Animation prepares students for versatile careers in game design, TV/film production and special effects, web and UI/UX design, multimedia advertising and marketing, data visualization and more. Students support the work of Milwaukee-area businesses through projects and internships, such as for Unfinished Legacy and BrandLab, a marketing and advertising organization that focuses on uplifting BIPOC talent. In a project through the Lubar Innovation Center, Xander Maxwell ’26 created promotional materials for Milwaukee Word Festival supporting the 2025 Summerfest lineup.

Among notable MIAD Animation faculty are Professor Lou Morton, whose short film “MINE!” made its world premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival; and Illustration and Animation Professor Adam Osgood ’06, whose book, “Motion Illustration: How to Use Animation Techniques to Make Illustrations Move,” was published in 2024.

Learn more about MIAD’s Illustration and Animation programs and MIAD alumni success.