Film Schools & Colleges in the United States

American Film Institute Conservatory
Los Angeles, CA
 |  |  |  |  | 
Nestled in the hills above Hollywood, the AFI Conservatory offers graduate-level degree programs in Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design, and Screenwriting. Students learn from master filmmakers and collaborate with one another to write, produce, design, direct, shoot and edit up to ten films over the course of their two years in the program. The school boasts an impressive 81% employment rate for recent graduates.

Chapman University
Orange, CA
 |  |  |  |  | 
Chapman is situated in the charming town of Orange, just outside the bustling film industry in Los Angeles. Undergraduate degree offerings include Creative Producing, Digital Arts, Film Production, Film Studies, Broadcast Journalism and Documentary, Television Writing and Production, Public Relations & Advertising, Screen Acting, and Screenwriting. At the graduate level, the school offers master’s degrees in Film Production, Film Studies, Film & Television Producing, Documentary Filmmaking, Production Design, Television Writing and Producing, Screenwriting, and joint producing degree programs in conjunction with the law and business schools.

Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL
 |  |  |  | 
Columbia College Chicago offers undergraduate and graduate-level programs in Writing, Producing and Directing for Film and Television, with areas of emphasis in Cinematography, Visual Effects, Editing and Sound, and Web-based and Mobile Media, along with interdisciplinary work in Documentary Production. Students benefit from networking, internship, and educational opportunities in one of the country’s largest media markets; they may also take advantage of Semester in LA, the only year-round academic program on a Hollywood studio lot.

Emerson College
Boston, MA
 |  |  |  |  | 
Emerson’s Department of Visual and Media Arts features undergraduate degree programs in Comedic Arts, Film, Media Arts Production, Media Studies, Production, and Stage & Screen Design/Technology. The school also offers an MFA in Film and Media Arts and a low-residency MFA in Writing for Film and Television. Each year the school hosts the Emerson Film Festival, the Bright Lights Shorts program (student-produced narrative work), and It’s All True (documentary films).

Full Sail University
Winter Park, FL
 |  |  |  |  | 
At Full Sail, students learn through hands-on film set experience. In the school’s online Digital Cinematography bachelor’s degree program, coursework touches on directing, producing, art design, and location shooting. As part of the on-campus Film bachelor’s, students follow the film creation process from pre-production through post-production, ensuring they get a feel for each crew member’s role in the production. In the on-campus Film Production MFA program, areas of study include storytelling, directing, and the business of film.

The Los Angeles Film School
Los Angeles, CA
 |  |  |  | 
In the heart of Hollywood, the Los Angeles Film School offers undergraduate programs in Cinematography, Directing, Producing, Visual Effects, Audio Production, and Entertainment Business. Students here learn from working industry professionals and benefit from a regular guest speaker series featuring some of the biggest names in all aspects of the film business. Online programs include Digital Filmmaking and Entertainment Business.

Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA
 |  |  |  |  | 
At LMU, programs of study include Animation (BA), Film, Television, and Media Studies (BA), Film and Television Production (BA, MFA), Recording Arts (BA), Screenwriting (BA), Writing and Producing for Television (MFA), and Writing for the Screen (MFA). The school has intern program partnerships with over 400 area companies and regularly invites award-winning filmmakers to campus for inspiring and educational panels, screenings, and talks.

New York University
New York City, NY
 |  |  |  |  | 
Faculty, students, and staff create over 5,000 films a year at NYU. Students receive a well-rounded undergraduate education in all aspects of filmmaking, whether they’re majoring in Acting & Directing, Animation, Cinematography, Documentary, History & Criticism, Post-production, Producing, Sound, Television, or Writing. Graduate level students focus intensely on writing/directing, with the option to pursue further education in concentrations in other areas of filmmaking.

University of California – Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
 |  |  |  |  | 
Students come from around the world to study filmmaking at UCLA. The award-winning faculty teaches undergraduate and graduate level coursework in Acting, Directing, Cinematography, Animation, Producing, and Screenwriting. UCLA hosts an annual film festival of student work and regular acting showcases. With deep roots in the Hollywood community, UCLA students benefit from unparalleled networking, educational, and collaborative opportunities.

University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
 |  |  |  |  | 
One of the largest and most well-connected film schools in the country, USC’s Cinematic Arts Department features degree offerings in Animation & Digital Arts, Cinema & Media Studies, Film & Television Production, Media Arts & Practice, Producing, and Writing for Screen & Television. The faculty includes working professionals who have won Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, and NAACP Leadership Awards. The school is home to sound stages, screening rooms, and extensive production and post-production facilities.