What are the best schools for graphic arts, media design, or animation?

I personally went to Westwood College in Denver, but they do also have a school in Dallas, TX. I would not trade my schooling for anything in the world. I was able to get my BS in Visual Communications which entails web design, print, audio/video and 3D animation/game design within three years. They hold high impact labs with terrific teachers that have been in the industry for a long time. They are accredited and a lot less expensive than the Art Institute. Online classes will not be able to offer the same feel as a traditional classroom. You won't be able to work with all the software needed, get instantaneous feedback from fellow artists/classmates, or work in an extreme creativity filled environment. Westwood also provides life long learning. If you graduate from a program you can return at any time, tuition free, to learn more skills in the field or even freshen up some of the skills you already know - for the rest of your life. After a year of research on many options and schools ... Westwood was the best possible choice I could make for myself - Check it out!

I have heard that the Rhode Island School of Design is very good for that.

I don't know which schools are best but I just wanted to chime in to say Goodluck! I am also considering going to Art School for Graphic Designing, and taking it online crossed my mind too. Not very sure at this point. I am still researching the ones in my city. I live in the south.