2026 Best Film Studies Schools in Illinois
Film Studies is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best film studies schools.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Film Studies in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall film studies education in Illinois.
Top Schools in Film Studies
University Of Chicago tops our 2026 ranking of the best film studies schools. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit university. University Of Chicago graduates 96% of students within six years. About 16 film studies degrees were awarded at University Of Chicago in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, film studies degree recipients from University Of Chicago generally make around $81,002. University Of Chicago graduates carry a median of $15,854 in student loans.
See the full film studies program report for University Of Chicago
Columbia College Chicago came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best film studies schools. Set in the city of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 52% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 20 film studies degrees were awarded at Columbia College Chicago in the most recent year. Students who receive their film studies degree from Columbia College Chicago earn around $29,694 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $26,000.
Read more about the film studies program at Columbia College Chicago
More Film Studies Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 5 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
