Regional Breakdown of Top Film Schools in US
This regional breakdown makes it easier for students considering relocation, travel costs, or local industry connections.
U.S. Film & Video Programs in West
| School | Academic Level & Credential | Primary Focus / Curriculum Style | Type of Institution | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Southern California (USC) – School of Cinematic Arts | Bachelor’s, Master’s, MFA, PhD | Industry-focused, narrative filmmaking, hands-on production, and theory | Private University | Los Angeles, CA |
| American Film Institute (AFI) | MFA | Conservatory-style, intensive production | Private Conservatory | Los Angeles, CA |
| Chapman University Dodge College of Film and Media Arts | BFA, BA, MFA | Production-intensive with industry focus | Private University | Orange, CA |
| Loyola Marymount University – School of Film & Television | BA, BFA, MFA | Narrative storytelling, production & theory | Private university | Los Angeles, CA |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) – School of Theater, Film and Television | BA, MFA, PhD | Film theory + production, academic & creative balance | Public University | Los Angeles, CA |
| San Francisco State University – School of Cinema | BA, MFA | Independent cinema, experimental & narrative film | Public University | San Francisco, CA |
| California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) | BFA, MFA | Animation, experimental film, artist-driven, conservatory-style | Private Art School | Valencia, CA |
| California State University, Northridge (CSUN) | BA, MFA | Film production, screenwriting, media studies | Public University | Northridge, CA |
| Arizona State University – Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts | BA, BFA, MFA | Digital media, film & emerging technology | Public University | Tempe, AZ |
| ArtCenter College of Design | BFA, MFA | Visual storytelling, design-focused filmmaking | Private Art & Design School | Pasadena, CA |
| The Los Angeles Film School | Certificate, Associate, Bachelor’s | Accelerated, industry-oriented, hands-on | Private For-Profit College | Los Angeles, CA |
| Seattle Film Institute | Certificate, Associate, Bachelor’s | Hands-on, accelerated filmmaking | Private Film School | Seattle, WA |
| San Francisco State University | Bachelor’s, Master’s | Hands-on production and Cinema studies | Public University | San Francisco, CA |
| San Diego State University – School of Theatre, Television & Film | BA, MFA | Production, screenwriting, and media studies | Public University | San Diego, CA |
| University of Washington | Bachelor’s, Master’s | Film studies, production, and media arts | Public University | Seattle, WA |
| University of Nevada, Las Vegas | Bachelor’s, Master’s | Production-focused with industry access | Public University | Las Vegas, NV |
| California State University, Long Beach | Bachelor’s | Film theory with applied production | Public University | Long Beach, CA |
| University of Utah | BA, MFA | Film production, media arts, interdisciplinary | Public university | Salt Lake City, UT |
U.S. Film & Video Programs in Northeast
| School | Academic Level & Credential | Primary Focus / Curriculum Style | Type of Institution | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York University – Tisch School of the Arts | BFA, BA, MFA, PhD | Narrative filmmaking, theory, hands-on production, industry preparation | Private University | New York, NY |
| Columbia University – School of the Arts | MFA, PhD | Auteur-focused, screenwriting, directing, producing, film theory | Private University | New York, NY |
| Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema (Brooklyn College) | MFA | Professional production with NYC industry access | Public university | Brooklyn, NY |
| New York Film Academy (NYFA) | Certificate, Associate, Bachelor’s, BFA, MFA | Accelerated, immersive, hands-on filmmaking | Private Institution | New York, NY |
| Boston University – College of Communication | BA, BFA, MFA | Film & TV production, screenwriting, media studies | Private University | Boston, MA |
| Syracuse University | BA, BFA, MFA | Film, television, and media production, | Private University | Syracuse, NY |
| Emerson College | BA, BFA, MFA | Film & media production, storytelling, hands-on training | Private College | Boston, MA |
| Ithaca College – Park School of Communications | BA, BFA, MFA | Film, television, media production, communications | Private College | Ithaca, NY |
| City College of New York (CCNY) | BA, MFA | Media studies, documentary & narrative production | Public University | New York, NY |
| American University – School of Communication | BA, MA, MFA, PhD | Film & media arts, social impact storytelling | Private University | Washington, DC |
| George Mason University | Bachelor’s, Master’s | Film & video studies, interdisciplinary media | Public University | Fairfax, VA |
| Towson University | BA, MFA | Film, media production, digital storytelling | Public University | Towson, MD |
| Howard University – Cathy Hughes School of Communications | BA, MFA | Film, media production, communications, social impact | Private University | Washington, DC |
| Temple University – Klein College of Media and Communication | BA, MA, PhD | Film, media production, and media studies | Public University | Philadelphia, PA |
| University of Pittsburgh | BA | Film & media studies, theory, criticism | Public research university | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) | Bachelor’s, Master’s | Film & animation, technology-driven production | Private University | Rochester, NY |
| Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) | Bachelor’s, Master’s | Experimental film, art-driven media, visual storytelling | Private College | Providence, RI |
| University of Connecticut | BA, MA, MFA | Digital media, film studies, production | Public University | Storrs, CT |
| Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) | Bachelor’s, Master’s | Experimental film, animation, art-based media | Private College | Baltimore, MD |
| Pratt Institute | Bachelor’s, Master’s | Film, digital media, art-based storytelling, experimental media | Private Institute | Brooklyn, NY |
U.S. Film & Video Programs in South
| School | Academic Level & Credential | Primary Focus / Curriculum Style | Type of Institution | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Texas at Austin – Radio-Television-Film | BFA, MA, MFA, PhD | Film and media production, directing, cinematography, screenwriting, hands-on project work | Public University | Austin, TX |
| Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) | BFA, MA, MFA | Film and television production, directing, editing, sound design, intensive hands-on studio projects | Private Art & Design University | Savannah, GA |
| University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) | BFA, MFA | Conservatory-style film production, narrative filmmaking, immersive hands-on training | Public Arts Conservatory | Winston-Salem, NC |
| Florida State University – College of Motion Picture Arts | BFA, MFA | Story-driven film production, collaborative sets, industry-style workflow | Public University | Tallahassee, FL |
| Ringling College of Art & Design | BFA | Film production, directing, cinematography, editing, project-based learning | Private Art & Design College | Sarasota, FL |
| University of Miami – School of Communication | BS, MFA | Motion picture production, narrative and documentary filmmaking, hands-on studio courses | Private University | Coral Gables, FL |
| University of New Orleans | BA, MFA | Film production, media studies | Public university | New Orleans, LA |
| Full Sail University | BS, BFA, MFA | Intensive film and television production, technical training, studio-based curriculum | Private University | Winter Park, FL |
| University of Central Florida – Nicholson School of Communication and Media | BA, BFA, MFA, Ph.D. | Film production, narrative and experimental projects, portfolio-focused training | Public University | Orlando, FL |
| University of North Texas | BA, BFA, MFA | Film and media arts production, narrative and experimental filmmaking | Public University | Denton, TX |
| University of Houston- Jack J. Valenti School of Communication | BA | Film and media production within media production and communication studies | Public University | Houston, TX |
| Texas Christian University | BA, BS | Film, television, and digital media production, hands-on creative projects | Private University | Fort Worth, TX |
| University of Memphis | BA, BS | Film and video production, digital storytelling, hands-on media creation | Public University | Memphis, TN |
| Belmont University | BA, BS, BFA | Film and media production, narrative filmmaking, collaborative projects | Private University | Nashville, TN |
| University of Central Arkansas | BA, BS | Film and digital media production, hands-on creative coursework | Public University | Conway, AR |
U.S. Film & Video Programs in Midwest
| School | Academic Level & Credential | Primary Focus / Curriculum Style | Type of Institution | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DePaul University – School of Cinematic Arts | BFA, BA, MFA | Film and television production, directing, cinematography, editing, industry-oriented hands-on training | Private University | Chicago, IL |
| Columbia College Chicago | BA, BFA, MFA | Intensive film production, narrative and documentary filmmaking, studio-based and experiential learning | Private Arts & Media College | Chicago, IL |
| Ohio University – School of Film | BFA, MFA | Narrative and documentary film production, collaborative projects, strong production facilities | Public University | Athens, OH |
| University of Wisconsin –Milwaukee | BFA, MFA | Film production, experimental & independent cinema | Public University | Milwaukee, WI |
| University of Michigan | BA, MFA | Screenwriting, directing, and film production with strong interdisciplinary collaboration | Public University | Ann Arbor, MI |
| University of Iowa | BA, MFA | Film and video production, narrative and experimental filmmaking, workshop-based learning | Public University | Iowa City, IA |
| Marquette University | BA, MFA | Film and media production within digital media programs, hands-on storytelling focus | Private University | Milwaukee, WI |
| Indiana University Bloomington | BA, BFA | Film production, screenwriting, directing, strong emphasis on cinematic storytelling | Public University | Bloomington, IN |
| University of Missouri | BA | Film and digital storytelling, narrative and documentary production | Public University | Columbia, MO |
