Media Design School (MDS) in Auckland, New Zealand — with which NewSchool collaborates for its Media Design School of Digital Arts at NewSchool — has recently been ranked 15th on Animation Career Review‘s annual list of Top 100 International Animation Schools. In 2014, Media Design School made its debut on the list, at No. 19.

Since 2012, NewSchool and MDS have collaborated on the Media Design School of Digital Arts at NewSchool, bringing curriculum and faculty from the Asia-Pacific region to work with students in San Diego. The Media Design School of Digital Arts at NewSchool enables students to gain a global perspective on digital arts degree programs such as game development, game programming, animation and media design. On the Auckland-based campus, MDS offers specialist degrees in emerging creative industries, with alumni who are working with world-renowned companies such as DreamWorks, Pixar, BBDO Worldwide, and Saatchi & Saatchi, as well as working on blockbuster movies such as The Hobbit, Avatar, King Kong and films from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. These industry connections, faculty expertise and student experiences are also transferred to NewSchool students.

About the Ranking

The Animation Career Review Top 100 International Animation Schools list is the most comprehensive source of information for aspiring animation and game design professionals, takes four key criteria into consideration when determining a school’s ranking. The criteria include the overall quality of programs, including technology and facilities available to students; the consistency and quality of student and graduate animation work; the geographic advantages derived from the school being located near animation employment hotspots; and the reputation of the program within the animation industry.

In addition to the recent recognition on the Top 100 International Animation Schools’ list, MDS has also been ranked among the top three schools in the world to provide VFX/Animation and Game Development qualification by the Autodesk CG Student Awards in 2015.