# academies
Every CG school worth reviewing.
Twelve schools reviewed, one verdict per school, alternatives on every page. London in-person, part-time online, mentor-led, and open-enrolment. Prices GBP, verified quarterly, format and duration stamped on every review.
# academies reviewed
The five academies worth comparing first.
London-based, part-time online, mentor-led, or open-enrolment. Five different shapes of CG training, one honest verdict on each.
LONDON · IN-PERSON + HYBRID
Escape Studios
£8,900–£11,500 diploma
Recommended for London learners
30+ years training VFX artists into Framestore, DNEG, Cinesite. Best fit if you can commit 30+ hours a week in London.
ONLINE · MENTOR-LED
CGMA
£550–£790 per course
Recommended per-course
Working industry mentors, 10-week cohort structure, portfolio-grade output. Best fit for a focused specialisation.
ONLINE · PART-TIME
CG Spectrum
£4,800–£6,400 diploma
Alternative to Escape Studios
Australian, part-time possible, keeps a day job intact. Best fit for regional UK learners with a full-time role.
ONLINE · CHARACTER FOCUS
Animation Mentor
£7,200 character path
Recommended for character animation
Feature-film animators as mentors, weekly one-to-one critique. Best fit if character animation is the goal.
HOLLYWOOD · IN-PERSON
Gnomon
£28,000+ BFA
Not the right fit for UK learners
Elite Hollywood in-person school. Cost and geography make it a hard pass for most UK routes. Read for context.
Compare all 12 schools
Escape Studios, CGMA, CG Spectrum, Animation Mentor, Gnomon, Domestika, Skillshare, Coursera, Coloso, Pluralsight, Udemy, plus the UK university sector. Side-by-side price and verdict.
# full list
Full academy list.
Mentor-led online (structured, cohort or per-term)
- CGMA: 10-week terms, industry mentors from ILM/Pixar/Blizzard. £599–£999/term. Best for specialist upskilling.
- Animation Mentor: 12-week terms, character animation focus. £1,800/term approx. Longest-running online animation school.
- CG Spectrum: Australia-origin, mentor-led, 9-24 month diplomas. £5k–£13k range.
- Rebelway: Houdini FX specialism, 8-week cohorts, senior TDs teaching. £700–£900/course.
- School of Motion: motion graphics specialism, 8–12 week courses. £999–£1,999.
- Mograph Mentor: motion graphics, per-course, £799–£1,499.
In-person UK
- Escape Studios: London (Holborn), 12-week to 12-month formats, PgDip and BA. £1,995 short course to £27k BA.
- NCCA Bournemouth: BA + MSc, SFE-eligible, £9,535/yr UK fees. Industry-leading placement rate.
- Gnomon (LA-based, referenced for UK learners considering study abroad): BFA + certificates, USD-priced, ~$34k/yr.
Subscription libraries and marketplace
- Domestika: Spanish-language origin, English subtitled, per-course £14–£99.
- Coursera: university partnerships, self-paced, £46/mo Plus.
- Skillshare: subscription library, £119/yr, mixed instructor quality.
- Udemy: transactional, £15–£150 per course, best for specific plugin skills.
- Pluralsight: subscription, £229/yr, formerly Digital-Tutors, strongest legacy CG library.
- Coloso: Korea-origin, individual masterclasses £70–£300, celebrity instructor angle.
How we review.
We score every academy on curriculum depth, price transparency, career outcomes, instructor bench honesty, and UK learner fit. We pay for our own accounts where possible and disclose every affiliate link. UK visa, SFE loan status, and comparable UK alternative called out on every non-UK school review. Full methodology on the about page.
# how we mark up every review
The verdict chip system.
Every course, school, and software page carries one of four verdict chips. Read the chip in three seconds and skip the rest if it does not fit.
Recommended
Cyan chip. Editorial pick for the reader profile named on the page.
Not the right fit
Hot Pink chip. Wrong shape for the reader (cost, geography, prerequisite).
Alternative to consider
Amber chip. Not our top pick, still on the shortlist.
Verified price
Mint chip. Price checked directly with the provider inside the last 90 days.