Recommended upgrade...
In all seriousness it depends on what software they will be teaching.
In this one case he simply needs to conform.
They both work about equally well for 3D modeling (the meat of 3d animation). But there is much more market for PC trained 3D modelers as that is where all the good games are at.
BTW if you sons long term plans include a carrier in gaming he should seriously reconsider.
Every gamer kid wants to be a game programmer/artist/author.
The gaming companies know this and pay peanuts while requiring constant death marches.
Typical carriers are less then five years from fresh graduate to krispy burned out ex-game programmer.
Make sure he has a backup plan. Game artist/programmer is in the same category or carrier aspiration as rock/movie star.
He has never said anything about gaming. He loves to draw and create. He wants to have a career in some artistic vein. People kept telling him it was a pipe dream, but if he is going to go to school, it has to be for something he wants to do. I figure, he has to take general classes now, he may change his mind as far as goals. But, if I had pushed him into business, he would resent it and not work as hard. He wants to be a success, but be happy also. :)
It was always the same story. Seventy hour weeks, gotta get the game out before Christmas, if it's not out for Christmas we'll go bankrupt, as soon as the game's out we'll make sure you guys are compensated for all the overtime. As soon as the game's out they lay off the entire development team.
Happened to him a dozen times. Keep your resume up to date and keep backups of your most current work. When they lay you off, they will not let you take anything on the hard drive. "Hey, that's my entire portfolio." Screw you. Get out of the building.
New program out? Hey, we're changing over to a new animation program for the next game. Learn it in your spare time and be ready to roll when we do the change over.
Oh, and the independents are even better. They're perpetually underfunded, and you'll get a million requests to do all their game art on spec (translation, you do it for free, and if they sell it you'll get paid. They never get it sold and generally don't finish the game.) My brother works as a tech in an ER now. He's turned down several job offers because he's tired of the nonsense in the industry.