The Winter Park university has been selected as an Apple Distinguished School for the 2026–2029 program term.
The designation recognizes schools that demonstrate a strong commitment to incorporating technology into education and developing innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Full Sail’s selection comes as the university continues to integrate emerging technology into programs designed around careers in entertainment media, games, film, music, and other technology-driven industries.
For Full Sail students, that could mean working with many of the same types of tools and technologies shaping the industries they hope to enter.
Students will have the opportunity to work with newer platforms, including Apple Vision Pro, as part of coursework and hands-on projects.
The university currently has 52 Apple Vision Pro headsets in use across its labs. Some classes are also incorporating immersive video production using the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera, along with Apple’s spatial audio tools.
The technology is particularly relevant to Full Sail’s focus on entertainment and emerging media, where immersive experiences are becoming an increasingly important part of production and content creation.
Full Sail’s Spatial Computing Innovation Lab is another example of this approach. The lab gives students from different degree programs a place to experiment with spatial computing and develop projects using Apple technology.
Rather than limiting the technology to one particular field of study, the lab allows students with different academic backgrounds to explore how spatial computing can be applied to their work.
Students can take advantage of built-in features such as live captions, spoken content, and color filters, giving them additional ways to interact with digital course materials.
These tools can be especially useful for students who rely on assistive technology as part of their learning experience.
“At Full Sail University, creativity and technology aren’t just connected. They are inseparable,” said Isis Jones, Full Sail’s Chief Information Officer. “We’re a university built for the entertainment media and technology industries, and Apple is at the center of how our students learn to make things that matter.”
Most Recent Recognitions
Founded in 1979, Full Sail University offers undergraduate and graduate programs both online and at its Winter Park campus. Its academic offerings include programs in art and design, business, film and television, games, media and communications, music and recording, sports, and technology.
The university has more than 100,000 graduates worldwide. Its alumni have contributed to projects receiving recognition from organizations and award programs including the Oscars®, Emmys®, Grammys®, Addys®, and The Game Awards.
The Apple Distinguished School designation joins several other recent honors for Full Sail. In 2026, the university was recognized by The Princeton Review as a Top Game Design School, by Animation Career Review among the Top 50 Animation Schools and Colleges in the U.S., and by Niche among the Best Colleges for Computer Science. Full Sail was also included among TheWrap’s Top 50 Film Schools of 2025.
Full Sail will hold its Apple Distinguished School designation through December 2029, providing another avenue for the university to highlight its use of technology in preparing students for creative and emerging industries.
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