College Rankings

Best Film & Video Production Schools

The top 25 of 133 U.S. colleges offering an undergraduate Film & Video Production degree, ranked by early-career earnings and return on investment — using each school's real, aid-adjusted net price rather than sticker tuition.

Is Film & Video Production worth it?

A film degree is a notoriously risky financial bet, but it can absolutely pay off if you play the game correctly. The film and television industry operates on a freelance, gig-economy model where your first few years will be spent working grueling hours as a production assistant or grip for relatively low pay. Because of this, graduating with massive student debt is a career-killer—it forces talented young filmmakers out of the industry before they can build their network.

The schools that win in this field are overwhelmingly low-cost public universities located in or adjacent to major production hubs. If you can get your hands on professional-grade cinema cameras, build a crew of reliable collaborators, and graduate with minimal debt, the degree is highly valuable. If you pay private-school tuition just to learn how to operate a boom mic, the math will almost never work in your favor.

Filter by state

#	School	State	Score	Median earnings	Net price / yr	10-yr net ROI
1	Utah Valley University	UT	46	$41,833	$6,376†	+$393K
2	Kennesaw State University	GA	44	$51,772	$15,048†	+$458K
3	University of California-Los Angeles	CA	43	$29,696	$12,548†	+$247K
4	Florida State University	FL	42	$31,689	$11,297†	+$272K
5	CUNY City College	NY	38	$26,918	$3,776†	+$254K
6	CUNY Hunter College	NY	37	$24,869	$2,984†	+$237K
7	Tufts University	MA	36	$56,418	$39,998	+$404K
8	California State University-Sacramento	CA	35	$24,618	$9,338†	+$209K
9	Rutgers University-Newark	NJ	31	$38,508	$19,703†	+$306K
10	Arizona State University Campus Immersion	AZ	31	$31,148	$14,967†	+$252K
11	University of California-Santa Barbara	CA	31	$28,608	$16,109†	+$222K
12	California State University-Northridge	CA	31	$27,290	$7,021†	+$245K
13	Portland State University	OR	31	$27,028	$9,552†	+$232K
14	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	NJ	30	$38,508	$24,406†	+$287K
15	University of Arizona	AZ	30	$26,054	$16,674†	+$194K
16	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	MI	30	$25,565	$13,138†	+$203K
17	Chapman University	CA	29	$35,795	$46,555	+$172K
18	Montclair State University	NJ	29	$28,474	$15,566†	+$222K
19	CUNY Brooklyn College	NY	29	$20,476	$3,103†	+$192K
20	Texas State University	TX	28	$33,610	$16,805†	+$269K
21	Fordham University	NY	27	$36,704	$44,338	+$190K
22	University of Utah	UT	27	$28,138	$16,200†	+$217K
23	Eastern Washington University	WA	27	$25,090	$13,886†	+$195K
24	Miami Dade College	FL	27	$20,611	$5,463†	+$184K
25	New Mexico State University-Main Campus	NM	26	$25,344	$8,889†	+$218K
26	University of California-Riverside	CA	26	$24,840	$14,304†	+$191K
27	San Francisco State University	CA	26	$18,654	$12,278†	+$137K
28	University of Southern California	CA	25	$34,187	$32,740	+$211K
29	Southern New Hampshire University	NH	25	$33,578	$36,708	+$189K
30	University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth	MA	25	$31,886	$20,927†	+$235K
31	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	NE	25	$31,172	$17,747†	+$241K
32	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	MN	25	$29,958	$16,778†	+$232K
33	University of California-Davis	CA	25	$19,258	$14,741†	+$134K
34	University of California-Berkeley	CA	24	$29,011	$13,481†	+$236K
35	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	WA	24	$28,561	$14,091†	+$229K
36	Middle Tennessee State University	TN	24	$28,202	$13,359†	+$229K
37	Vassar College	NY	24	$28,028	$39,343	+$123K
38	American University	DC	24	$26,767	$41,943	+$100K
39	Northern Arizona University	AZ	24	$23,418	$14,158†	+$178K
40	University of Nevada-Las Vegas	NV	24	$21,491	$10,359†	+$173K
41	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus	OK	23	$32,126	$15,300†	+$260K
42	University of Missouri-Columbia	MO	23	$29,613	$20,268†	+$215K
43	Eastern Michigan University	MI	23	$27,348	$15,407†	+$212K
44	Keene State College	NH	23	$27,261	$17,887†	+$201K
45	University at Buffalo	NY	23	$26,630	$20,995†	+$182K
46	Brigham Young University	UT	23	$25,506	$15,564	+$193K
47	George Mason University	VA	23	$23,989	$17,915†	+$168K
48	University of Central Florida	FL	23	$23,676	$10,411†	+$195K
49	Woodbury University	CA	22	$32,477	$33,692	+$190K
50	Occidental College	CA	22	$30,526	$38,263	+$152K
51	Belmont University	TN	22	$30,188	$33,147	+$169K
52	University of Rhode Island	RI	22	$29,634	$21,440†	+$211K
53	Grand Canyon University	AZ	22	$29,094	$22,472	+$201K
54	Western Michigan University	MI	22	$26,502	$15,273†	+$204K
55	University of North Carolina School of the Arts	NC	22	$24,053	$14,906†	+$181K
56	Binghamton University	NY	22	$22,843	$21,620†	+$142K
57	University of California-Irvine	CA	22	$21,397	$14,251†	+$157K
58	University of Miami	FL	21	$35,485	$37,244	+$206K
59	Quinnipiac University	CT	21	$29,253	$40,675	+$130K
60	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	PA	21	$28,634	$30,434†	+$165K
61	Wheaton College (Massachusetts)	MA	21	$28,498	$29,822	+$166K
62	Huntington University	IN	21	$27,455	$19,310	+$197K
63	Lesley University	MA	20	$31,846	$31,152	+$194K
64	Montana State University	MT	20	$29,608	$22,499†	+$206K
65	California Institute of the Arts	CA	20	$28,247	$46,080	+$98K
66	John Paul the Great Catholic University	CA	20	$27,221	$34,666	+$134K
67	Saint Cloud State University	MN	20	$26,332	$13,529†	+$209K
68	Grand Valley State University	MI	20	$25,256	$16,317†	+$187K
69	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	WI	20	$23,840	$15,014†	+$178K
70	University of California-Santa Cruz	CA	20	$23,614	$17,890†	+$165K
71	State University of New York at Oswego	NY	20	$22,682	$16,236†	+$162K
72	Georgia State University	GA	20	$22,588	$15,931†	+$162K
73	Rochester Institute of Technology	NY	19	$28,858	$34,906	+$149K
74	University of Kansas	KS	19	$28,289	$18,059†	+$211K
75	Syracuse University	NY	19	$26,331	$38,793	+$108K
76	Mount Saint Mary's University	CA	19	$25,835	$21,413	+$173K
77	Oral Roberts University	OK	19	$25,696	$25,365	+$156K
78	Stevenson University	MD	19	$25,690	$26,505	+$151K
79	Wright State University-Main Campus	OH	19	$24,617	$15,415†	+$185K
80	Oakland University	MI	19	$22,011	$9,120†	+$184K
81	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	PA	18	$30,697	$32,875†	+$175K
82	University of Iowa	IA	18	$26,147	$22,531†	+$171K
83	California Baptist University	CA	18	$25,031	$26,285	+$145K
84	Marymount Manhattan College	NY	18	$25,014	$36,861	+$103K
85	New York University	NY	18	$23,869	$37,050	+$90K
86	Cleveland State University	OH	18	$22,263	$14,764†	+$164K
87	Rhode Island College	RI	18	$18,685	$9,478†	+$149K
88	Seattle University	WA	17	$30,256	$34,662	+$164K
89	George Fox University	OR	17	$29,745	$31,679	+$171K
90	Columbus College of Art & Design	OH	17	$28,994	$29,439	+$172K
91	DePaul University	IL	17	$26,164	$30,902	+$138K
92	The University of Montana	MT	17	$24,679	$16,784†	+$180K
93	Oberlin College	OH	17	$23,519	$38,645	+$81K
94	Central Washington University	WA	17	$23,126	$18,476†	+$157K
95	Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus	NJ	17	$22,311	$15,404	+$161K
96	Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus	NJ	17	$22,311	$22,829	+$132K
97	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale	IL	17	$21,322	$13,297†	+$160K
98	Pace University	NY	17	$20,775	$30,892	+$84K
99	Clayton State University	GA	17	$15,952	$8,365†	+$126K
100	Emerson College	MA	16	$27,032	$49,180	+$74K
101	Virginia Commonwealth University	VA	16	$23,109	$23,433†	+$137K
102	Champlain College	VT	16	$21,092	$35,860	+$67K
103	Liberty University	VA	16	$20,512	$29,357	+$88K
104	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt	CA	16	$19,107	$13,171†	+$138K
105	University of Central Arkansas	AR	15	$26,939	$16,511†	+$203K
106	The University of Tampa	FL	15	$26,641	$36,211	+$122K
107	University of South Carolina-Columbia	SC	15	$23,686	$22,811†	+$146K
108	Massachusetts College of Art and Design	MA	15	$22,764	$24,100†	+$131K
109	DeSales University	PA	15	$22,651	$31,643	+$100K
110	University of Colorado Boulder	CO	15	$22,601	$25,346†	+$125K
111	California College of ASU	CA	15	$20,483	$17,683	+$134K
112	Drexel University	PA	15	$19,758	$38,509	+$44K
113	Minneapolis College of Art and Design	MN	14	$26,156	$29,926	+$142K
114	Temple University	PA	14	$24,345	$28,198†	+$131K
115	Kansas City Art Institute	MO	14	$22,619	$27,650	+$116K
116	University of North Carolina Wilmington	NC	14	$22,315	$20,109†	+$143K
117	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus	OH	14	$19,803	$24,022†	+$102K
118	Calvin University	MI	14	$15,906	$22,992	+$67K
119	Loyola Marymount University	CA	13	$24,561	$48,381	+$52K
120	College for Creative Studies	MI	13	$24,350	$34,617	+$105K
121	Columbia College Chicago	IL	13	$23,905	$26,598	+$133K
122	Ithaca College	NY	13	$23,782	$33,926	+$102K
123	SUNY at Purchase College	NY	13	$18,128	$18,913†	+$106K
124	Savannah College of Art and Design	GA	12	$23,976	$49,430	+$42K
125	Art Center College of Design	CA	12	$22,988	$48,661	+$35K
126	The New School	NY	12	$21,523	$58,741	−$20K
127	University of Oregon	OR	12	$20,041	$22,182†	+$112K
128	Webster University	MO	11	$19,071	$27,047	+$83K
129	Rhode Island School of Design	RI	11	$17,701	$50,507	−$25K
130	Ringling College of Art and Design	FL	10	$18,551	$57,742	−$45K
131	University of Hartford	CT	10	$17,521	$30,282	+$54K
132	Maryland Institute College of Art	MD	10	$17,500	$42,729	+$4K
133	Pratt Institute-Main	NY	9	$16,710	$52,659	−$44K

Top 10 programs by 10-year net ROI

How to read this: Median earnings = typical pay one year after graduation. Net price = average annual cost after grant aid, incl. living costs — not sticker tuition. 10-yr net ROI = ten years of earnings minus four years of net price. Score = the CollegeRanked Score (0–100) that sets the order — it blends ROI with longer-run earnings, job demand and automation resilience, so a school can outrank one with a slightly higher 10-yr ROI. † = public university — net price shown is the in-state cost; out-of-state students pay more. See the full methodology.

Why these schools rank where they do

Geography and state tax incentives dictate this entire ranking. The top performers are schools that feed directly into booming, localized production economies.

Utah Valley University takes the #1 spot because it perfectly executes the modern media playbook. Utah has a surprisingly massive, highly lucrative commercial video and digital media industry, alongside a robust independent film scene anchored by the proximity to Sundance. UVU offers incredibly affordable, hands-on technical training that allows its graduates to immediately plug into Salt Lake City's commercial pipelines without carrying the debt that crushes traditional film students.

Kennesaw State University (#2) is the ultimate example of industry pipelines at work. Atlanta is the "Hollywood of the South," home to Marvel productions, Tyler Perry Studios, and endless streaming series. KSU works in tandem with the Georgia Film Academy to train below-the-line crew members—grips, electrics, camera operators—who can walk off campus and straight onto a high-budget union set.

You will also notice the dominance of public workhorse schools in traditional entertainment capitals. UCLA (#3) is the rare elite, world-renowned film school that still charges public-university tuition. But right behind it are schools like CSU Northridge (#12) and the CUNY system in New York (City College, Hunter, Brooklyn). These schools lack the glitz of famous private arts conservatories, but they place students in the exact same Los Angeles and New York City entry-level gigs as their elite counterparts, for a fraction of the cost.

The most surprising result might be Chapman University holding strong at #17. As a private school with a high sticker price, it normally wouldn't survive an ROI-based ranking. But Chapman's Dodge College is so deeply entrenched in the Los Angeles studio system, and its alumni network is so fiercely protective of its own, that graduates reliably secure the high-end agency and studio jobs necessary to pay off the tuition.

What is Film & Video Production?

Film and video production is the technical and creative process of bringing visual stories to the screen. Day-to-day, graduates aren't just sitting in director's chairs; they are pulling focus on camera lenses, managing massive digital storage drives, lighting sets, securing location permits, and spending hundreds of hours cutting footage in Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve.

Frequently asked questions

Do I actually need a degree to work in film?

No. Nobody in Hollywood will ever ask to see your diploma; they will ask for your reel, your IMDb credits, or a reference from a producer. However, film school provides two crucial things that are hard to get on your own: free access to hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of lighting and camera gear, and a built-in network of peers who will become your first professional crew.

Why aren't famous film schools like NYU or USC at the top?

Because this ranking measures financial reality, not prestige. Elite private film schools provide incredible networks, but they also come with staggering price tags. When a graduate from a prestigious private conservatory and a graduate from a local state school both land their first job as a set PA, they are paid the exact same day rate. The state school graduate can afford to take that job; the heavily indebted private school graduate often struggles to survive on it.

Should I focus on above-the-line (directing/writing) or below-the-line (crew) skills?

Focus on below-the-line skills while you are in school. Everyone wants to be a writer or director, but those positions are rarely hired out of college. The people who find immediate, steady work are the ones who know how to pull focus, operate a Steadicam, mix sound, or manage digital assets. Mastering a technical craft pays the bills while you work on your passion projects on the weekends.