A recent competition has seen Media Design School dubbed one of the best places in the world to study visual effects, game art, and animation.

The Auckland-based tertiary institution was ranked fourth overall in the CG Student Awards, an annual competition that showcases and rewards excellence in computer graphics from students and recent graduates.

The competition drew a total of 1,000 submissions from 216 schools and training facilities worldwide.

A school’s ranking is calculated based on entries submitted by its students to the Awards programme across four categories: Games + VFX/Animation, Film of the Year, Next-Gen Gaming, and Game of the Year.

Points were awarded to each school based on the number of students each school entered, how each submission was rated by a judging panel, among other things.

Media Design School students also took out two of three Oceania internships offered by sponsors of the competition, with Rafael Gonzalez Quinones and James Hall being awarded internships as part of the VFX/Animation Bootcamp.

In addition, two of the school’s short films were Highly Commended in the Film of the Year category, and a game created by school production team Heavy Snowfall (Dungeon Town) was Highly Commended in the Game of the Year category.

“A real highlight for us is seeing the Media Design School, New Zealand, make such a dramatic jump up the ladder from previous years,” said CG Student co-founder Alwyn Hunt.

“It's the first time we have actually seen a school from the Oceania region claim a spot in the list.”

Media Design School CEO Darryn Melrose said the awards were a reflection of the exceptional calibre of the school’s faculty and students.

"It is fantastic to see that Media Design School students from across a range of the school's degrees have been acknowledged for the exceptional work that they produce as part of their studies with Media Design School," he said.

"This result further cements Media Design School's reputation as New Zealand's most awarded tertiary institute for digital and creative technology qualifications and as a school that creates work that is consistently regarded among the very best in the world."

Schools in Los Angeles, Savannah, and Vancouver took the top three places in the competition.