Attending an accredited film school can go a long way toward promoting the overall success of your career as a director, filmmaker, actor, screenwriter, or other film professional. Below is a comprehensive list of the top accredited film schools in the United States that are known for their quality undergraduate and graduate programs.
Top 10 Accredited Film Schools
1. Nashville Film Institute – Nashville, Tennessee
The Nashville Film Institute offers a nine-month Cinema Production Program for filmmakers. At the end of the course, students receive a diploma showing they gained the necessary skills to create their own professional demo reel.
- Estimated total cost of attendance: $37,955
- Student population: 112
- Student-faculty ratio: 11:1
2. University of Southern California – Los Angeles, California
The University of Southern California has a School of Cinematic Arts where students can pursue various undergraduate and graduate degrees, such as a BA in Cinema & Media Studies or an MFA in Animation & Digital Arts. Notable alumni of the University of Southern California include George Lucas, John Wells, Stacey Sher, and Tim Story.
- Estimated total cost of attendance: $309,836
- Student population: 48,321
- Student-faculty ratio: 9:1
3. New York University – New York City, New York
New York University is home to several top-notch film programs and is the place where many film legends got their start, including Martin Scorsese, Ang Lee, Joel Coen, and Oliver Stone.
- Estimated total cost of attendance: $302,008
- Student population: 52,885
- Student-faculty ratio: 9:1
4. Chapman University – Orange, California
Chapman University features 10 different schools that focus on several different areas of study. The Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, which is one of Chapman’s schools, offers programs such as BFAs in film production, creative producing, screenwriting, and screen acting; MFAs in film production, screenwriting, production design, and documentary filmmaking; and an MA program in film studies. Alumni of Chapman University have gone on to do amazing work in the film industry and hold titles such as director of CNN’s “New Day,” creative director at Palisades Media Group, and director at Cardinal Media.
- Estimated total cost of attendance: $300,448
- Student population: 9,850
- Student-faculty ratio: 13:1
5. California Institute of the Arts – Valencia, California
The California Institute of the Arts, referred to as simply CalArts by students, offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate programs. Film-related programs you can pursue include an MFA in film and video, an MFA in film directing, and a BFA in character animation, to name just a few. Notable alumni from this film school include Tim Burton and Brad Bird.
- Estimated total cost of attendance: $309,824
- Student population: 1,520
- Student-faculty ratio: 7:1
6. Loyola Marymount University – Los Angeles, California
Loyola Marymount University offers a range of undergraduate and graduate programs for aspiring film professionals. Programs offered at Loyola include BA programs in media studies, screenwriting, animation, film and television production, and recording arts. MFA programs include writing for the screen and writing and producing for television. Well-known individuals who went to Loyola include Busy Phillips, Brian Helgeland, and Clark Duke.
- Estimated total cost of attendance: $292,048
- Student population: 9,822
- Student-faculty ratio: 10:1
7. Ringling College of Art and Design – Sarasota, Florida
Ringling College of Art and Design offers a BFA in film with two different areas of focus to choose from: narrative and branded entertainment. Topics covered in the film program at Ringling include editing, directing, storytelling, screenwriting, directing, storyboarding, collaboration, and filmmaking. Oscar-winning animator Patrick Osborne got his start at this film school.
- Estimated total cost of attendance: $278,416
- Student population: 1,658
- Student-faculty ratio: 12:1
8. Art Center College of Design – Pasadena, California
Art Center College of Design offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in film. The undergraduate film degree is available in three different tracks: directing, cinematography, and editing. The MFA in film explores several topics over the course of five terms, including screenwriting, cell phone cinema, pitching, visual storytelling techniques, and narrative film analysis. Notable alumni of Art Center College of Design include Michael Bay, Zack Snyder, and Jeff Soto.
- Estimated total cost of attendance: $275,816
- Student population: 2,335
- Student-faculty ratio: 8:1
9. American Film Institute – Los Angeles, California
The American Film Institute is a well-known film school that offers six different MFA programs in editing, cinematography, directing, screenwriting, producing, and production design. Notable alumni from American Film Institute include Terrence Malick, Patty Jenkins, and Wally Pfister.
- Estimated total cost of attendance: $309,648
- Student population: 334
- Student-faculty ratio: 25:1
10. Columbia University School of the Arts – New York City, New York
Columbia University’s School of the Arts offers both undergraduate and graduate programs for students wishing to pursue a career in film. Programs you can participate in include an MFA in creative producing, a BA in film and media studies, and an MFA in screenwriting/directing. Notable directors and actors who got their start at Columbia include Kimberly Pierce, Julia Stiles, Kathryn Bigelow, and James Gunn.
- Estimated total cost of attendance: $345,028
- Student population: 31,456
- Student-faculty ratio: 6:1
Other Accredited Film Schools In the United States
- New York Film Academy – New York City, New York
- Los Angeles Film School – Los Angeles, California
- UCLA – Los Angeles, California
- Wesleyan University – Middletown, Connecticut
- DePaul University – Chicago, Illinois
- Savannah College of Art and Design – Savannah, Georgia
- NYU Tisch School of the Arts – New York City, New York
- Rhode Island School of Design – Providence, Rhode Island
- Florida State University – Tallahassee, Florida
- Emory University – Atlanta, Georgia
- Wesleyan University – Middletown, Connecticut
- Colorado Film School – Denver, Colorado
- ArtCenter College of Design – Pasadena, California
- Barnard College – New York City, New York
- CUNY Brooklyn College – Brooklyn, New York
- Dominican University – River Forest, Illinois
- Fashion Institute of Technology – New York City, New York
- Ferris State University – Big Rapids, Michigan
- Fordham University – the Bronx, New York
- Ithaca College – Ithaca, New York
- Laguna College of Art & Design – Laguna Beach, California
- Cogswell Polytechnical College – San Jose, California
- Kean University – Union, New Jersey
- McDaniel College – Westminster, Maryland
- San Francisco Art Institute – San Francisco, California
- St. Cloud State University – St. Cloud, Minnesota
- State University of New York at Binghamton – Binghamton, New York
- Syracuse University – Syracuse, New York
- Cornish College of the Arts – Seattle, Washington
- Vassar College – Poughkeepsie, New York
- Southern Methodist University – Dallas, Texas
- American University – Washington, D.C.
- Northwestern University (School of Communication) – Evanston, Illinois
- Carleton College – Northfield, Minnesota
- Emerson College – Boston, Massachusetts
- University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, Michigan
- University of Texas – Austin, Texas
- Stanford University – Stanford, California
- Boston University – Boston, Massachusetts
- Columbia College – Chicago, Illinois
- Montclair State University – Montclair, New Jersey
- Academy of Art University – San Francisco, California
- Rutgers University – New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden, New Jersey
- San Francisco State University – San Francisco, California
- Pratt Institute – Brooklyn, New York
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- University of Colorado – Boulder, Colorado
- University of Chicago – Chicago, Illinois
- University of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Columbia College Hollywood – Tarzana, California
- University of North Carolina School of the Arts – Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Minneapolis College of Art & Design – Minneapolis, Minnesota
- School of Visual Arts – New York City, New York
Online Accredited Film Schools
- Full Sail University
- Academy of Art University
- Arizona State University
- Los Angeles Film School
- National University
- UCLA Online Extension
If you’re looking for a reputable film school, consider enrolling in Nashville Film Institute. We offer accredited programs that will support your career as a film professional. Contact us today to find out more about our accredited film school programs.
