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2024 Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools

286 Colleges in the United States
17,626 Film Degrees Awarded
$24,396 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. Combined, these schools handed out 17,626 degrees in film, video & photographic arts to qualified students.

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
317 Film Degrees Awarded
2.2% Growth in Graduates

University of Southern California is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in film, video & photographic arts. Located in the 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 roughly 317 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the film, video & photographic arts program at University of Southern California get $7,640 above the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

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

2
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
465 Film Degrees Awarded
8.4% Growth in Graduates

It is 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 large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #27 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 465 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 degree program at New York University make $5,040 more than the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

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

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Digital Photography Program Name

Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in Digital Photography from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Film Degrees Awarded
22.5% Growth in Graduates

It is hard 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 large 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 40 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the film, video & photographic arts major at Emory University make $12,312 more than the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 Film Degrees Awarded
24.2% Growth in Graduates

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

There were approximately 99 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Those film, video & photographic arts students who get their degree from Columbia University in the City of New York make $10,334 more than the typical film student.

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

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

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

There were about 16 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available.

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

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Digital Photography Program Name

Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in Digital Photography from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
88 Film Degrees Awarded
10.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize 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 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were approximately 88 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the film, video & photographic arts degree program at University of California - Berkeley make $6,917 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
306 Film Degrees Awarded
37.9% Growth in Graduates

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

There were approximately 306 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Chapman in the most recent year we have data available. Film, Video & Photographic Arts degree recipients from Chapman University earn a boost of approximately $5,197 above the average income 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
121 Film Degrees Awarded
$27,331 Median Starting Salary

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

There were approximately 121 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the film, video & photographic arts program at University of California - Los Angeles get $2,934 more than the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Digital Photography Program Name

Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in Digital Photography from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

9
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In CT
34 Film Degrees Awarded

Yale is a 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 34 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

Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly 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
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
88 Film Degrees Awarded
1.1% Growth in Graduates

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

There were approximately 88 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Film, Video & Photographic Arts degree recipients from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor get an earnings boost of approximately $5,428 over the typical earnings of film, video & photographic arts majors.

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

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Digital Photography Program Name

Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in Digital Photography from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
166 Film Degrees Awarded
$27,057 Median Starting Salary

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

There were approximately 166 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. Those film, video & photographic arts students who get their degree from University of California - Santa Barbara make $2,661 more than the typical film grad.

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
68 Film Degrees Awarded

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

There were approximately 68 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
175 Film Degrees Awarded
4.6% Growth in Graduates

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

There were roughly 175 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 receive $3,749 more than the typical film graduate.

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

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Digital Photography Program Name

Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in Digital Photography from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

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

Carnegie Mellon is a 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 roughly 1 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

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

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 20 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year.

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

16
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH

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

There were approximately 18 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent data year. Film, Video & Photographic Arts degree recipients from Dartmouth College get an earnings boost of approximately $13,251 above the typical earnings of film, video & photographic arts graduates.

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

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Digital Photography Program Name

Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in Digital Photography from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
188 Film Degrees Awarded
4.8% Growth in Graduates

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 about 188 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the film program earn about $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
124 Film Degrees Awarded
16.1% Growth in Graduates

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

There were approximately 124 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Marymount in the most recent year we have data available. Those film, video & photographic arts students who get their degree from Loyola Marymount University earn $5,411 more than the typical film grad.

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

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

There were roughly 21 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

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Digital Photography Program Name

Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in Digital Photography from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

20
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Film Degrees Awarded
5.4% Growth in Graduates

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

There were roughly 56 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at BYU in the most recent year we have data available. Film, Video & Photographic Arts degree recipients from Brigham Young University - Provo get an earnings boost of approximately $7,620 over the typical earnings of film, video & photographic arts majors.

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
97 Film Degrees Awarded
28.9% Growth in Graduates

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

There were approximately 97 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at The American University in the most recent data year. Film, Video & Photographic Arts degree recipients from American University earn a boost of about $11,473 above the average income of film, video & photographic arts majors.

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

22
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, PA

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

There were about 17 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Lafayette in the most recent data year. Film, Video & Photographic Arts degree recipients from Lafayette College earn a boost of around $14,277 above the typical earnings of film, video & photographic arts graduates.

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

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Digital Photography Program Name

Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in Digital Photography from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

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

Brandeis is a moderately-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 roughly 14 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 program at Brandeis University make $19,956 more than the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

24
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
180 Film Degrees Awarded
$23,947 Median Starting Salary

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

There were about 180 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Temple in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the film program earn an average of $23,947 in the first couple years of working.

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

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

26
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 8,361
Film/Cinema/Media Studies 5,479
Photography 2,175
Other Film/Video & Photographic Arts 1,513
Documentary Production 98

View All Film Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 37,604
Design & Applied Arts 36,323
Music 25,860
Drama & Theater Arts 17,039
General Visual & Performing Arts 6,776
Arts & Media Management 4,667
Dance 3,301
Other Visual Art 999
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 73
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art 5

View All Film Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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