Notable alumni include Darren Aronofsky, Susannah Grant, Amy Heckerling, Patty Jenkins, David Lynch, and Terrence Malick.

The American Film Institute is a highly regarded film school in Los Angeles and option for those who have already completed an undergraduate degree. The school offers six MFA programs in Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design, and Screenwriting.

This video details what you can expect should you pursue editing at AFI.

These programs are rigorous, as students collaborate with their peers over their two years at the school to produce between four and 10 films, but they also leave with several projects under their belt and valuable real-world filmmaking experience.

Tuition: $68,103 per year

American Film Institute

Notable alumni include Brad Bird, Alison Brie, Tim Burton, Don Cheadle, Sofia Coppola, and Dustin Hoffman.

Located about 30 miles north of Los Angeles, the California Institute of the Arts, or CalArts, offers more than 70 programs across the literary, media, performing, and visual arts.

Among those most closely related to film, the school has both undergraduate and graduate options, including a BFA and MFA in Film and Video, BFA and MFA in Experimental Animation, BFA in Character Animation, and MFA in Film Directing.

Take a look at how CalArts students feel about their school.

Given CalArts’ close proximity to LA, students can take advantage through internships and networking to hit the ground running in the industry upon graduation.

Tuition: $56,074/yr. undergraduate and graduate

California Institute of the Arts

Notable alumni include Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Colin Hanks, Leslie Jones, Kellan Lutz, and Justin Simien.

Unlike AFI and CalArts, Chapman University’s areas of expertise extend beyond the arts. Located about 30 miles south of Los Angeles, Chapman is made up of 10 different schools across a spectrum of fields, one of them being the reputable Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.

This highly regarded school offers multiple undergraduate and graduate options.

See what Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts offers its students.

Students can pursue a BFA in Film and Television Production, BFA in Creative Producing, BFA in Animation and Visual Effects, BFA in Writing for Film and Production, BFA in Broadcast Journalism and Documentary, BA in Film and Media Studies, MFA in Film Production, MFA in Film and Television Producing, MFA in Screenwriting, MFA in The Showrunner Program, MFA in Production Design, MA in Film and Media Studies, as well as a combined JD/MFA in Film and Television Producing or MBA/MFA in Film and Television Producing.

Tuition: $62,400/yr.

Chapman University

Notable alumni include Kathryn Bigelow, James Gunn, Jim Jarmusch, Kate McKinnon, Kimberly Peirce, and Julia Stiles.

On the other coast sits Columbia University in New York City. Established more than 250 years ago, Columbia is New York State’s oldest institution of higher learning, and like Chapman University, offers students many options in different fields of study.

For those interested in film, Columbia’s School of the Arts has both undergraduate and several graduate programs. Students can pursue a BA in Film and Media Studies, MA in Film and Media Studies, MFA in Screenwriting/Directing, MFA in Writing for Film and Television, and MFA in Creative Producing.

This video provides a comprehensive look at why students come to Columbia University for grad school.

Moreover, like Los Angeles, New York City is a hub of entertainment industry activity where students can earn in-the-field experience as they finish their studies.

Tuition: $70,028/yr. undergraduate; $71,918/yr. graduate

Columbia University

Notable alumni include Vin Di Bona, Joely Fisher, Norman Lear, Stefani Robinson, Alex Tse, and Henry Winkler.

Though not located in either Los Angeles or New York City, Boston’s Emerson College has built an earned reputation as one of the best film schools in the nation. And like most of the film schools already mentioned, prospective students can enroll in its Visual & Media Arts department as either an undergraduate or graduate student.

What sets Emerson College apart from other schools? Watch this video to find out.

Emerson offers multiple competitive programs. Students can pursue a BA or BFA in Media Arts Production, BFA in Film Art, BFA in Stage & Screen Design/Technology, BFA in Comedic Arts, MFA in Writing for Film and Television, and Television and MFA in Film and Media Art.

The school also provides students with options to study for a semester at its LA campus or international Global Pathways Program.

Tuition: $54,400/yr. undergraduate; $1,402/credit graduate

Emerson College

Notable alumni include Clark Duke, Brian Helgeland, Gloria Calderón Kellet, Kate Micucci, and Busy Philipps.

Like AFI, Loyola Marymount University is located in Los Angeles and offers a wide selection of undergraduate and graduate programs for aspiring filmmakers.

Prospective students can pursue a BA in Film, Television, and Media Studies, BA in Film and Television Production, BA in Screenwriting, BA in Animation, BA in Recording Arts, MFA in Film and Television Production, MFA in Writing for the Screen, or MFA in Writing and Producing for TV.

This tongue-in-cheek video about LMU’s film school offers a humorous yet accurate look at learning how to make movies.

Outside of the school’s highly regarded film programs, students are drawn to Loyola Marymount University for its proximity to Los Angeles and the film networking and internship opportunities afforded to them during their time at school.

Tuition: $54,630/yr. undergraduate; $1,536/credit graduate

Loyola Marymount University

Notable alumni include Donald Glover, Spike Lee, Adam Sandler, Martin Scorsese, M. Night Shyamalan, and Oliver Stone.

New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts is regarded as one of the best film schools across the globe, having played a role in the education of the some of the filmmaking world’s most renown artists.

And like virtually all of the other film schools already mentioned, prospective students just beginning their collegiate careers, as well as those interested in building upon their bachelor work, can grow their filmmaking expertise at NYU.

As this video demonstrates, New York City itself is one more compelling reason why students come to NYU.

Undergraduate programs in Cinema Studies, Dramatic Writing and Film & Television and graduate programs in Cinema Studies, Dramatic Writing, and Film are offered through Tisch.

Tuition: $66,388/yr. undergraduate; $73,698/yr. graduate

New York University

Notable alumni include Martin Pensa, Ari Levin, and Brian Taylor.

Located in the heart of Hollywood, the Los Angeles Film School offers students an education in film, animation, entertainment industry, and audio production. Both Associate and Bachelor’s degrees are available through a range of programs designed to give students hands-on experience and technical skills needed for careers in the entertainment business.

Featuring professional-level sound stages, recording suites, and post-production facilities, the Los Angeles Film School prioritizes practical learning and industry-standard practices. The curriculum blends creative coursework with technical training, delivered by certified professionals.

Tuition: $34,250/year

LA Film School

Notable alumni include Carol Burnett, Francis Ford Coppola, Alexander Payne, Rob Reiner, Tim Robbins, and John Williams.

On the westside of Los Angeles sits the University of California, Los Angeles, better known as UCLA. Over its 100-year history, UCLA has created a name for itself as a highly regarded and competitive school for aspiring filmmakers, and through its School of Theater, Film and Television, students can pursue a degree in any one of its many specialized programs.

Currently, UCLA has an undergraduate program for Film, Television and Digital Media, as well as graduate programs in Animation, Cinema and Media Studies, Cinematography, Production/Directing, Production/Directing—Documentary, Screenwriting, and the Producers Program.

In addition to the institutions themselves, many cities attract students to the best film schools, and UCLA’s location in Los Angeles is no exception.

The school also provides a PhD option in Cinema and Media Studies and its Professional Program in various film and TV-related specialties for students interested in a more abbreviated certificate program.

Tuition: $14,000/yr. in-state undergraduate; $47,000 non-resident undergraduate; $18,000/yr. in-state graduate; $33,000 non-resident graduate

University of California, Los Angeles

Notable alumni include David Gordon Green, Brett Haley, Anthony Mackie, Danny McBride, and Craig Zobel.

New to our list is the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA), which also stands as the only institution in the southeast U.S. to make our compilation of the best film schools. Here students can pursue an undergraduate degree in Animation, Cinematography, Directing, Picture Editing & Sound Design, Producing, Production Design & Visual Effects, and Screenwriting.

Let your filmmaking goals and dreams find life at UNCSA.

Graduate candidates can explore the school’s Creative Producing, Film Music Composition, and Screenwriting options.

Tuition: $6,497/yr. in-state undergraduate; $24,231 non-resident undergraduate; $9,696/yr. in-state graduate; $24,399 non-resident graduate

University of North Carolina

Notable alumni include Judd Apatow, Ryan Coogler, Paul Feig, Nahnatchka Khan, George Lucas, and Shonda Rhimes.

Across the city from UCLA stands the University of Southern California and its School of Cinematic Arts. The highly competitive and world-renown USC has long been the backdrop for the burgeoning careers of many talented and famous filmmakers.

For those looking to begin their training at USC, they can select from several undergraduate and graduate options.

Hear firsthand from former students how USC helped to further their filmmaking education and careers.

Students can pursue a BA in Cinema & Media Studies, BA in Animation & Digital Arts, BA or BFA in Cinematic Arts, Film & Television Production, BFA in Writing for Screen & Television, MA in Cinema & Media Studies, MFA in Animation & Digital Arts, MFA in Writing for Screen & Television, MFA in Producing, Directing, Cinematography, Editing, Production Design or Sound, and MFA in the Peter Stark Producing Program.

Like UCLA, USC too provides interested students in a PhD option in Cinema & Media Studies.

Tuition: $66,640/yr. undergraduate; $39,533-$58,621/yr. graduate

University of Southern California

It can quickly become an overwhelming task to research the best film schools and determine which one might be the right choice for you. Where do you even start?

Some considerations typically top the list for most prospective film students:

Regardless of school or program, most higher education institutions come with a significant price tag. Research thoroughly not only the potential expense of each option, but also what you may qualify for in terms of student loans, grants, scholarships, and other financial benefits for each school.

This sounds obvious, but even from school to school, various film majors and degrees can differ regardless of the same title. What you will learn from one screenwriting program may not be the same as another screenwriting program. Explore extensively what you can expect at each of the best film schools that pique your interest to ensure that you’ll be getting the education you want.

We’ve mentioned several schools in the great Los Angeles region for good reason… They tend to offer more opportunities for students looking to jump immediately into the LA film industry job market. That being said, Los Angeles may not be the best fit for every film student. Again, take a comprehensive look at how the location of each film school may affect not only your education there but also future employment and career opportunities.

Beyond these primary considerations, write down any others that matter to you. It’ll be different for everyone, so only you and you alone can determine which film school will best serve your professional goals and needs.

Several factors go into finding career opportunities for film school graduates. Through a combination of internships, career services, and (of course) networking, students with film degrees have the resources to formulate strategies that can potentially lead them onto a successful career in a highly competitive work market.

Film schools often offer internships with studios, production companies, and other businesses intertwined with the entertainment business. While internships rarely pay, the hands-on education they offer can prove to be invaluable to an aspiring filmmaker. Students who intern make contacts and are given a first-hand look into how certain aspects of the business operate.

Film schools usually provide careers services that can aid alumni in preparing resumes and portfolios, rehearsing for interviews, and ultimately finding position openings. Many schools have paid opportunity and internship listings exclusively for their graduates.

As with the majority of industries, networking is a vital aspect of the film industry. By attending industry mixers, workshops, and film festivals, graduates can grow their personal network and leverage connections. More often than not, people in the film industry get hired for jobs because of who they know over what they know.

People often wonder, how is film, which is both a craft and an artistic business, taught? Overall, film schools aim to provide a well-rounded education that combines theoretical knowledge with practical experience, preparing students for careers in the film industry. As a result, film is typically taught via a combination of two areas – film production and cinema studies.

Cinema studies is an academic deep-dive into the history, theory, and criticism of film. Through viewing a broad range of cinematic works accompanied by analytical and interactive lectures, films are examined on levels of history, quality, cultural impact, and overall resonance within the filmic landscape.  Drawing from a multitude of disciplines such as literature, visual arts, psychology, and cultural studies, cinema studies adopts a diverse array of perspectives to study, analyze and decipher films. Typically, in an effort to be thorough, all genres of filmmaking are considered, analyzed, and discussed.

Film production is the actual process of putting boots on the ground and making a film. Starting with the inception of an idea to scriptwriting to hiring a crew to production to post-production, this is the greatest hands-on education someone looking to pursue a career in filmmaking can find. It puts students in the director’s (or producer’s, or writer’s, or a combination thereof) chair and gives them a firsthand experience of what it means to make their own movie from scratch. Lessons here are learned by doing, rather than through hearing classroom lectures.

In the highly competitive industry that is the entertainment business, the knowledge and experience gained through one of the best film schools mentioned above can very much be the deciding factor in a person’s success.

Whether you attend one of the best film schools or not, knowing the opportunities they can provide for aspiring filmmakers is key to making the best choice for you and your career.