Documentary Production degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools to find the best for documentary production students.
The school you choose for documentary production can shape your career. That is why we built our Best Documentary Production Schools rankings. Our overall ranking combines our degree-level rankings, weighted by degrees awarded at each level.
To find the best fit, you can narrow this list to a specific degree level below.
We offer several rankings, including this Best Documentary Production Schools list, to help you decide. 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 have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Best Schools for Documentary Production in the United States
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the documentary production degrees they offer, see the list below.
No school ranked higher than Wake Forest University this year for documentary production. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Winston-Salem. Roughly 89% of students complete a degree within six years here. Wake Forest University awarded about 10 documentary production degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the documentary production program make about $67,369 in their early career. Wake Forest University graduates carry a median of $21,577 in student loans.
Get the full documentary production details for Wake Forest University
Ithaca College is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in documentary production, landing the #2 spot this year. Ithaca College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Ithaca. About 76% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 10 documentary production students who graduated with this degree at Ithaca College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, documentary production degree recipients from Ithaca College generally make around $23,782. Typical student debt for the program is $25,000.
More information about a degree in documentary production from Ithaca College
Students looking for a strong documentary production program will find one at Dixie State College Of Utah, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Saint George, Dixie State College Of Utah is a large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 28%. About 74 documentary production degrees were awarded at Dixie State College Of Utah in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, documentary production degree recipients from Dixie State College Of Utah generally make around $42,266. Students borrow a median of $18,666 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in documentary production from Dixie State College Of Utah
A rank of #4 makes Spelman College one of the top schools for documentary production. Located in the city of Atlanta, Spelman College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. About 78% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 10 documentary production students who graduated with this degree at Spelman College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their documentary production degree from Spelman College earn around $40,217 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $26,397 to complete this degree.
See the full documentary production program report for Spelman College
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 4 schools evaluated.
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
