by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Film Major” ranking.
In 2021-2022, 17,626 people earned their degree in film, video & photographic arts, making the major the 62nd most popular in the United States. In , film, video & photographic arts graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $24,396 and had an average of $31,569 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Film Major” ranking, we looked at 562 colleges that offer a degree in film, video & photographic arts. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in film, video & photographic arts.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Film Major” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
The colleges and universities below are the best for film students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Compass College of Cinematic Arts. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major list. Compass College of Cinematic Arts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Compass College of Cinematic Arts
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Film Institute Conservatory. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major list. American Film Institute is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 82 ’s film degrees to qualified students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at American Film Institute Conservatory
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia College Hollywood. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major. Columbia College Hollywood is a small school located in Tarzana, California that handed out 138 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Columbia College Hollywood
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Seattle Film Institute. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major. Seattle Film Institute is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 20 ’s film degrees to qualified students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Seattle Film Institute
Out of the 562 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major that were part of this year’s ranking, New York Film Academy landed the #5 spot on the list. Burbank, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s film degrees to 350 students in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full New York Film Academy Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
University of North Carolina School of the Arts ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Film Major list. University of North Carolina School of the Arts is located in Winston Salem, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 89 ’s film degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UNCSA
KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major ranking. This small school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 15 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at KD Conservatory
With a ranking of #9, Los Angeles Film School did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major list. Los Angeles Film School is located in Hollywood, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 288 ’s film degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Emerson College ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Film Major list. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 359 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Colegio de Cinematografía Artes y Television landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major ranking. This small school is located in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and it awarded 80 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.
Full Colegio de Cinematografía Artes y Television Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Five Towns College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major ranking, coming in at #12. Five Towns College is a small private for-profit school situated in Dix Hills, New York. It awarded 31 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Five Towns College Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
School of Visual Arts ranked #13 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Film Major list. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 210 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major ranking. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this small public school awarded 75 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Massachusetts College of Art and Design
California Institute of the Arts came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major ranking. California Institute of the Arts is located in Valencia, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 52 ’s film degrees to qualified students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California Institute of the Arts Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
With a ranking of #16, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major list. Columbia College Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 198 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Columbia College Chicago
With a ranking of #17, Woodbury University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major list. Located in Burbank, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 43 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Woodbury University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Columbus College of Art and Design came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 18 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Columbus College of Art and Design
The Art Institute of Atlanta ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Film Major list. The Art Institute of Atlanta is a private for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at The Art Institute of Atlanta
Atlantic University College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major ranking. Located in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2021-2022.
Full Atlantic University College Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Savannah College of Art and Design came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major ranking. Savannah College of Art and Design is a private not-for-profit institution located in Savannah, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 443 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Savannah College of Art and Design
The Art Institute of Houston came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, this small private for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Art Center College of Design ranked #23 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Film Major list. Art Center College of Design is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 57 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Art Center College of Design
With a ranking of #24, Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major list. Located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, this small public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Institute of American Indian Arts
Academy of Art University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major ranking. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized private for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 133 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Academy of Art University
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Occidental College | Los Angeles, CA |
| 52 | Pratt Institute - Main | Brooklyn, NY |
| 53 | Wheaton College Massachusetts | Norton, MA |
| 54 | The Art Institute of Austin | Bastrop, TX |
| 55 | Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus | Madison, NJ |
| 56 | Pacific Northwest College of Art | Portland, OR |
| 57 | Ringling College of Art and Design | Sarasota, FL |
| 58 | Wesleyan University | Middletown, CT |
| 59 | AI Miami International University of Art and Design | Miami, FL |
| 60 | Biola University | La Mirada, CA |
| 61 | Minneapolis College of Art and Design | Minneapolis, MN |
| 62 | Greenfield Community College | Greenfield, MA |
| 63 | Cornish College of the Arts | Seattle, WA |
| 64 | Stephens College | Columbia, MO |
| 65 | Point Park University | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Huntington University | Huntington, IN |
| 67 | Vassar College | Poughkeepsie, NY |
| 68 | College for Creative Studies | Detroit, MI |
| 69 | DePaul University | Chicago, IL |
| 70 | Loyola Marymount University | Los Angeles, CA |
| 71 | Fitchburg State University | Fitchburg, MA |
| 72 | The New School | New York, NY |
| 73 | John Brown University | Siloam Springs, AR |
| 74 | Lycoming College | Williamsport, PA |
| 75 | Brooklyn College | Brooklyn, NY |
| 76 | Whitman College | Walla Walla, WA |
| 77 | Scottsdale Community College | Scottsdale, AZ |
| 78 | Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester, NY |
| 79 | San Francisco State University | San Francisco, CA |
| 80 | Lawrence University | Appleton, WI |
| 81 | Hollins University | Roanoke, VA |
| 82 | Dillard University | New Orleans, LA |
| 83 | Asbury University | Wilmore, KY |
| 84 | Bard College at Simon’s Rock | Great Barrington, MA |
| 85 | University of California - Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz, CA |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
