- Autodesk celebrates its largest education milestone to date, reaching 150 million students and educators globally.
- For more than two decades, Autodesk has been committed to democratizing access to its Design and Make technology.
- As the global skills gap widens, Autodesk’s education offerings are helping millions gain the tools, experience, and confidence to thrive in an AI-driven world.
November 19, 2025 – Today, Autodesk announced it has provided its software and technology for free to more than 150 million students and educators around the world, helping prepare the next generation of designers, builders, and makers for the future of work.
For more than a decade, Autodesk has made its professional-grade tools available at no cost to accredited institutions and verified students and educators — giving students the same technology used by architects, engineers, manufacturers, and creators worldwide to design and make anything.
Autodesk’s recent milestone of reaching 150M students and educators to date reflects its years-long commitment to uplifting and equipping the next generation with the tools and skills needed to succeed in the future workforce.
Bridging the skills gap in an AI-powered future
As the global workforce changes faster than educators can keep up, access to the latest technology for students is critical. Autodesk’s State of Design and Make report found that 58% of professionals cite a lack of skilled talent as a barrier to growth, while 61% say it’s getting harder to find new hires with the right technical skills.* Meanwhile, AI is continuing to surface in today’s jobs, with demand for AI skills in job listings surging by more than 640% since 2022, according to Autodesk’s recent AI Jobs Report.**
Students feel the urgency, too. Nearly half of college students don’t believe they’re learning the AI skills they’ll need to succeed after graduation.***
Autodesk connects students across secondary, trade schools, community colleges, and universities to the technology, real-world projects, and career opportunities that will help them learn the skills they need to succeed across Design and Make industries after graduation.
“With technology advancing faster than education can keep pace, it’s crucial that industry leaders like Autodesk help equip STEAM students and educators with the right tools at every stage of learning,” said Mary Hope McQuiston, Vice President of Education at Autodesk. “It often starts with Tinkercad, where students first learn to imagine and create, and continues with professional-grade tools that prepare them for real, meaningful careers. Reaching 150 million students and educators, and now expanding access to Flow Studio, shows what’s possible when learners can design, make, and tell their story with the same technology the pros use.”
For more than a decade, Autodesk has made its professional-grade tools available for free to more than 160,000 schools around the world.
Where Design and Make begins: Tinkercad’s lasting impact
Autodesk has reached 100 million Tinkercad users to date. Autodesk’s free, browser-based 3D design tool introduces millions of young learners to creative problem-solving and STEM. For many, it’s the first step toward mastering professional tools like Fusion and Forma — connecting imagination in the classroom to innovation in the real world.
Autodesk’s browser-based tool, Tinkercad, has become a classroom favorite – from Kindergarten to college – winning over STEM learners and inspiring creativity among non-technical audiences alike.
Expanding access to professional VFX and animation for the next generation of creators with Autodesk Flow Studio
As part of our ongoing work to provide free, professional-grade software to students and educators, we’re expanding that access to include Autodesk Flow Studio (formerly Wonder Studio). This means all verified students ages 18 and older and educators can now use Flow Studio at no cost. The goal is straightforward: make AI-powered 3D tools for visual effects (VFX) and animation accessible to those learning film, digital content creation, marketing/advertising, or game design.
Flow Studio supercharges creativity by automating complex VFX tasks like motion capture, camera tracking, and character animation – allowing students to stay focused on the story and performance. With a single video clip and a few clicks, learners can insert CG characters into live-action or animated scenes and render them out. It brings 3D animation and VFX once reserved for Hollywood, within reach for anyone developing their storytelling craft.
Autodesk Flow Studio empowers students and educators with intuitive AI tools for VFX and animation.
Empowering the next generation of Design and Make leaders
From classrooms and makerspaces to studios and stages, Autodesk’s education ecosystem supports students at every level — combining technology access, certifications, and career pathways. Through partnerships with schools, nonprofits, and industry leaders, Autodesk continues to help students develop the skills that define the future of Design and Make.
As industries evolve and new technologies like AI transform the way we work and create, Autodesk’s commitment remains the same: to equip every student — whether architect, engineer, or artist — with the power to design and make anything.
Autodesk’s latest data reveals a growing challenge for Design and Make leaders: hiring skilled talent. This urgency drives Autodesk’s commitment to closing the skills gap and helping students hit the ground running when they graduate.
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*Autodesk’s State of Design & Make report
**Autodesk’s AI Jobs report
***Autodesk’s Career Readiness Report was conducted by third-party analytics firm GlobalData: GlobalData surveyed 1,500 students ages 14 to 23 across high school, university, community college, and vocational/trade school.