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2024 Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools

286 Colleges in the United States
16,778 Film Degrees Awarded
$24,170 Avg Early-Career Salary
Film, Video & Photographic Arts is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #62 most popular degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 286 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for film, video & photographic arts students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 16,778 degrees in film, video & photographic arts during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Film, Video & Photographic Arts School

Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools The film program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Film, Video & Photographic Arts rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for film, video & photographic arts schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Film, Video & Photographic Arts Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Film
Bachelor's Degrees in Film
Master's Degrees in Film
Doctor's Degrees in Film

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Film, Video & Photographic Arts in the United States

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the film degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Film

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
310 Film Degrees Awarded
$32,036 Median Starting Salary

University of Southern California is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in film, video & photographic arts. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 310 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Film, Video & Photographic Arts degree recipients from University of Southern California receive an earnings boost of about $7,866 above the typical earnings of film, video & photographic arts majors.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from University of Southern California

2
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
426 Film Degrees Awarded
$29,436 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat New York University if you wish to pursue a degree in film, video & photographic arts. NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #27 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 426 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the film, video & photographic arts major at New York University get $5,266 above the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from New York University

3
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Film Degrees Awarded
54.8% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat Emory University if you want to pursue a degree in film, video & photographic arts. Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Atlanta. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Emory is a great university overall.

There were roughly 31 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent data year. Film, Video & Photographic Arts degree recipients from Emory University receive an earnings boost of about $12,538 over the average income of film, video & photographic arts majors.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from Emory University

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
75 Film Degrees Awarded
$34,730 Median Starting Salary

Columbia University in the City of New York is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in film, video & photographic arts. Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were about 75 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the film, video & photographic arts degree program at Columbia University in the City of New York make $10,560 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from Columbia University in the City of New York

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MO

WUSTL is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were roughly 19 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from Washington University in St Louis

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
79 Film Degrees Awarded
$31,313 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were about 79 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Those film, video & photographic arts students who get their degree from University of California - Berkeley make $7,143 more than the standard film student.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from University of California - Berkeley

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
190 Film Degrees Awarded
$29,593 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Orange, Chapman is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 32nd out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 190 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Chapman in the most recent data year. Film, Video & Photographic Arts degree recipients from Chapman University get an earnings boost of approximately $5,423 over the typical earnings of film, video & photographic arts graduates.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from Chapman University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
127 Film Degrees Awarded
17.3% Growth in Graduates

UCLA is a very large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were about 127 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. Film, Video & Photographic Arts degree recipients from University of California - Los Angeles earn a boost of about $3,160 over the average earnings of film, video & photographic arts majors.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from University of California - Los Angeles

9
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In CT
10.0% Growth in Graduates

Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New Haven. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.

There were approximately 30 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from Yale University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In IL
7.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 14 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from Northwestern University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
87 Film Degrees Awarded
12.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 87 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Film, Video & Photographic Arts degree recipients from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor receive an earnings boost of around $5,654 over the average income of film, video & photographic arts majors.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
184 Film Degrees Awarded
9.8% Growth in Graduates

UCSB is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Santa Barbara. This university ranks 10th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 184 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Film, Video & Photographic Arts degree recipients from University of California - Santa Barbara get an earnings boost of about $2,887 above the average earnings of film, video & photographic arts majors.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from University of California - Santa Barbara

13
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In WA
38 Film Degrees Awarded

UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the city of Seattle. This university ranks 1st out of 51 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were about 38 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

14
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
22nd Most Popular In PA

Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Pittsburgh. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.

There were approximately 4 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from Carnegie Mellon University

14
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
167 Film Degrees Awarded
25.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 15th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 167 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year. Those film, video & photographic arts students who get their degree from University of California - Irvine earn $3,975 more than the typical film graduate.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from University of California - Irvine

15
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In PA
10.7% Growth in Graduates

UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were roughly 28 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from University of Pennsylvania

16
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$37,647 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #25 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Dartmouth is a great college overall.

There were about 14 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent year we have data available. Film, Video & Photographic Arts degree recipients from Dartmouth College receive an earnings boost of around $13,477 above the average earnings of film, video & photographic arts graduates.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from Dartmouth College

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
179 Film Degrees Awarded
$24,155 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 19th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 179 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the film program make an average of $24,155 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from University of California - Santa Cruz

18
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
104 Film Degrees Awarded
$29,807 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 20th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 104 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Marymount in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the film, video & photographic arts program at Loyola Marymount University make $5,637 more than the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from Loyola Marymount University

19
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In TX
25.9% Growth in Graduates

SMU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Dallas. This university ranks 4th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 27 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at SMU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from Southern Methodist University

20
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Film Degrees Awarded
$32,016 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 13 colleges for overall quality in the state of Utah.

There were approximately 53 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at BYU in the most recent year we have data available. Those film, video & photographic arts students who get their degree from Brigham Young University - Provo make $7,846 more than the standard film graduate.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from Brigham Young University - Provo

21
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
69 Film Degrees Awarded
$35,870 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Washington, The American University is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 8 schools for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were about 69 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at The American University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the film, video & photographic arts program at American University make $11,699 above the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from American University

22
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$38,673 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Easton, Lafayette is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 9th out of 109 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 13 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Lafayette in the most recent year we have data available. Those film, video & photographic arts students who get their degree from Lafayette College make $14,503 more than the typical film student.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from Lafayette College

23
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$44,352 Median Starting Salary

Brandeis is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Waltham. This university ranks 14th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 19 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Brandeis in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the film, video & photographic arts major at Brandeis University get $20,182 above the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from Brandeis University

24
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
190 Film Degrees Awarded
3.2% Growth in Graduates

Temple is a very large public university located in the city of Philadelphia. This university ranks 11th out of 109 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 190 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Temple in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the film program make around $23,947 for their early career.

More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from Temple University

Rest of the Top Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools

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27
28
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
29
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, CA
30
31
32

33

34
35
36
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
37
Emerson crest
Emerson College
Boston, MA
38
39
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
40
41
Seattle U crest
Seattle University
Seattle, WA

42
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools award.

Rank College Location
43 Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL
44 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
45 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
46 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
47 Maryland Institute College of Art Baltimore, MD
48 Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston, MA
49 The New School New York, NY
50 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
51 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
52 School of Visual Arts New York, NY
53 Columbia College Hollywood Tarzana, CA
54 DePaul University Chicago, IL
55 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
55 Boston University Boston, MA
56 University of Georgia Athens, GA
57 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA

Film, Video & Photographic Arts by Region

View the Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Film, Video & Photographic Arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

Film Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Film & Video Production 7,768
Film/Cinema/Media Studies 5,191
Photography 2,184
Other Film/Video & Photographic Arts 1,557
Documentary Production 78

View All Film Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 37,413
Design & Applied Arts 36,301
Music 25,910
Drama & Theater Arts 17,341
General Visual & Performing Arts 6,355
Arts & Media Management 4,788
Dance 3,288
Other Visual Art 912
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 119
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art 10

View All Film Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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