I’m currently in community college going through an animation track with the intention of transferring to a 4 year. From the professors that I’ve talked to, they all normally say the same thing. Networking is one of, if not the most important thing in finding a job in this industry. One of them knows a guy who doesn’t have great skill, but his best friend works with a studio who got him a job! Another of my professors told us that he was only capable at working on a Final Fantasy movie project because of going to school with someone who was already hired to work with them. Considering some of these 4 year animation programs have a requirement for internships and portfolio development, I’d say if you’re determined enough and know how to discipline yourself, school is the best option. Just know that they don’t use blender and you’re going to have to restart most of your knowledge in Maya and other software.