Colleges in the USA with good film Programs

You may have innate writing, producing, or directing skills that you practiced during your early life. But you can also acquire professional education for these skills. You do not have to live in Hollywood to become a successful writer, director, or producer. You can improve these skills from different programs offered by multiple universities in differen5 states of the USA. These programs include both undergraduate as well as graduate degrees. You can learn each and every aspect of filmmaking from these programs and earn a lot from the cinema industry. 

What kind of film degrees can you choose?

Which degree suits your interest and career depends on your target and your current skills as a filmmaker.

  • If you’re just a beginner in this department, you should look into a bachelor’s program to know all of its ins and outs. 
  • If you have a good amount of experience and are looking to advance your skills and degree, you can choose any of the several graduate programs with more in-depth courses and experience.
  • If you seek to specialize in a certain area of filmmaking like directing, producing, editing, or screenwriting, there are several degrees that are more focused on one specific area. 

Different Film Degrees available:

Following are some of the degree programs available for the film industry:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Studies
  • BS – Digital Cinematography 
  • Bachelor in Film Studies

●       BSc in Creative Media and Film

●       Bachelor of Science in Film

●       BA in Cinematic Arts

●       Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Art

●       Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Production

●       Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Motion Pictures & Television

●       Bachelor in Film

●       Bachelor of Arts in Cinema

●       Bachelor in Media Studies – Film and Culture

Here Are The List of Colleges in the USA with good film programs

America is an ocean of knowledge and education for not only medical professionals and engineers but for students seeking their careers in the film industry as well. Here is the list of some of the colleges in the USA with good film programs:

1.      American Film Institute, Los Angeles

Colleges in the USA with good film Programs

This university offers the following degree programs in the film and art department:

AFI Conservatory offers a two-year Master of Fine Arts degree in six filmmaking disciplines:

  • Cinematography
  • Directing
  • Editing
  • Producing
  • Production Design
  • Screenwriting

Aspiring artists learn from the masters in a collaborative, hands-on production environment with an emphasis on storytelling.

Tuition fee:

$59,348 to $61,425

Alumni:

David Lynch, Sam Esmail, Mimi Leder, Ed Zwick

University of Southern California, Los Angeles

Colleges in the USA with good film Programs

University of Southern California, Los Angeles is one of the several prestigious universities of America with multiple programs in different disciplines. It was established in 1880 and was the first university to launch a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film.

This university offers the following degree programs in the film and art department: 

  • John C. Hench Division of. Animation + Digital Arts.
  • Division of. Cinema & Media Studies.
  • Film & Television Production.
  • Peter Stark Producing Program.
  • Interactive Media & Games.
  • Media Arts + Practice.
  • John Wells Division of. Writing for Screen & Television.
  • The John H. Mitchell. Business of Cinematic Arts Program.

Tuition fee:

  • $55,320 (undergraduates)
  • $33,981 to $44,837 (graduates) per year

Alumni:

John Singleton, Shonda Rhimes

3.      New York University, New York

New York University is the only institute in the entire USA that offers a dual degree in cinema and business. This institute was established in 1831 and the department of film and arts was founded in 1965. This university offers the following degree programs in the film and art department:

  • B.A. in Cinema Studies
  • M.A. in Cinema Studies
  • M.A. in Moving Images, Archiving, and Preservation
  • Ph.D. in Cinema Studies

Tuition fee:

  • $54,352 (undergraduates)
  • $58,712 (graduates)

Alumni:

Vince Gilligan, Billy Crystal, Jon Watts director Spider-Man: Homecoming

University of California, Los Angeles

Colleges in the USA with good film Programs

The University of California was founded as the southern branch of California State Normal School in 1982. The UCLA theater arts department was founded in 1947.

This university offers the following degree programs in the film and art department:

  • Master of Arts (M.A.)
  • Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Tuition fees:

Undergraduate:

  • $15,775 (in-state)
  • $44,767 (out-of-state)

Graduate:

  • $16,848 to $28,437 (in-state)
  • $31,950 to $40,682 (out-of-state)

Alumni:

Dustin Lance Black, Frank Marshall, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Alexander Payne

California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, California

The California Institute of the Arts is a private art university in California established in 1883. This institute was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US for students of both the visual and performing arts

This university offers the following degree programs in the film and art department:

  • Character Animation. BFA. The BFA Program in Character Animation is designed for students who seek an understanding of the art of character performance and storytelling in animation.
  • Experimental Animation. BFA MFA.
  • Film Directing. MFA.
  • Film and Video​ BFA MFA.

Tuition fee:

$48,600 (undergrad and grad)

Alumni:

James Mangold, Brenda Chapman

Columbia University, New York

Columbia University, New York was founded in 1754, and Columbia school of arts offers a wide range of programs.

This university offers the following degree programs in the film and art department:

  • The Film MFA Program in Creative Producing
  • The Film MFA in Screenwriting/Directing

Tuition fees:

$60,784 (graduate)

Alumni:

Greg Mottola, Kathryn Bigelow, Lisa Cholodenko, Jennifer Lee

Chapman University, Orange, California

Colleges in the USA with good film Programs

Chapman established a Residence Education Center Program to serve military personnel in 1958. This institute evolved into Brandman University. Chapman College became Chapman University in 1991.

This university offers the following degree programs in the film and art department:

  • MFA in Documentary Filmmaking.
  • MFA in Film Production.
  • MA in Film Studies.
  • Accelerated Undergrad-M.A. in Film Studies.
  • MFA in Film and TV Producing.
  • MFA in Production Design.
  • MFA in Screenwriting.

Tuition fees:

 $52,340 (undergraduate and graduate)

Alumni:

Carlos Lopez Estrada, Gabriel Garza, Kelly Galuska, Tara Hernandez

Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles

This institution was founded in 1917 and the department of film and art was established in 1976.

This university offers the following degree programs in the film and art department:

  • Walter and Grace Lantz Undergraduate Animation Program, B.A. and Minor.
  • Film and Television Production, B.A. and International Documentary Production, Minor.
  • Recording Arts, B.A.
  • Screenwriting, B.A., and Minor.
  • The Film, Television, and Media Studies, B.A. and Minor.

Tuition fees:

  • $47,470 (undergraduate)
  • $22,824 (graduate)

Alumni:

Effie Brown, Barbara Broccoli, Francis Lawrence

Emerson College, Boston

Emerson College of arts was established in 1880 as an art and dramatic institution.

This university offers the following degree programs in the film and art department:

  • Writing for Film and Television (MFA)
  • Film and Media Art (MFA)

Tuition fees:

  • $46,016 (undergraduate)
  • $30,024 (graduate)

Alumni:

Denis Leary, Jay Leno, David Cross, Kevin Bright, and Norman Lear.

  1. Wesleyan University MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT

Wesleyan University was founded in 1831 as a men’s college. This university offers the following degree programs in the film and art department:

Bachelor of Arts and Film.

Tuition fee:

Undergrad $69,704 to $71,764

Alumni:

Matthew Weiner, Michael Bay, Joss Whedon, Paul Weitz, Lin-Manuel Miranda

About The Author

Hassan Zaka

I am an experienced technical writer with an ACCA qualification. I have written on various topics including finance, business, and technology. My writing style is clear and simple, and I am skilled in using infographics and diagrams.

Follow Us:
LinkedinTwitter

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top