10 Best Film Schools for Aspiring Filmmakers (2020)

The American Film Institute is a highly regarded film school based out of Los Angeles and an option for those who have already completed an undergraduate degree. The school offers six different MFA programs in Screenwriting, Directing, Cinematography, Editing, Producing and Production Design. AFI programs are rigorous, as students collaborate with their peers over their two years at the school to produce between four to 10 films, but they also get to leave with several projects under their belt and valuable real-world filmmaking experience.

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

Located about 30 miles north of Los Angeles, the California Institute of the Arts, or CalArts, offers more than five-dozen different degree programs across the media, literary, 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, a BFA in Character Animation and MFA in Film Directing. Given CalArts’ close proximity to LA, students can take advantage of internships and networking to hit the ground running in the industry upon graduation.

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

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 ten 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, such as a BFA in Film Production, BFA in Creative Producing, BFA in Animation and Visual Effects, BFA in Screenwriting, BFA in Television Writing and Production, BFA in Screen Acting, BA in Film Studies, MFA in Film Production, MFA in Film and TV Producing, MFA in Screenwriting, MFA in Television Writing and Producing, MFA in Production Design, MFA in Documentary Filmmaking, MA in Film Studies, as well as a combined JD/MFA in Film and TV Producing or an MBA/MFA in Film and TV Producing.

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

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 elect to pursue a BA in Film and Media Studies, MA in Film and Media Studies, MFA in Screenwriting/Directing or MFA in Creative Producing. 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.

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

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. Emerson offers multiple competitive programs, such as a BA or BFA in Film, BA in Production, BFA in Film Art, BFA in Stage & Screen Design/Technology, MFA in Writing for Film 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 its international Global Pathways Program.

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

Like the American Film Institute, 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 and Producing for Television and MFA in Writing for the Screen. 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.

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

New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts is often 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 renowned 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. Undergraduate programs in Cinema Studies, Dramatic Writing and Film & Television and graduate programs in Cinema Studies, Dramatic Writing and Film are offered through Tisch.

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

On the west side 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 Screenwriting, Cinema and Media Studies, Cinematography, Animation, Production/Directing and the Producers Program. The school also provides a Ph.D. 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.

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

Across the city from UCLA stands the University of Southern California and its School of Cinematic Arts. The highly competitive and world-renowned 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, such as 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 Ph.D. option in Cinema & Media Studies.

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

Last but certainly not least is Wesleyan University located in Connecticut. With Emerson College, Wesleyan University is only one of two film schools on this list not located in the greater Los Angeles or New York City area, but that has hardly prevented WU from becoming a prestigious center for aspiring filmmakers. Its College of Film and the Moving Image is comprised of several smaller departments, which are the Center for Film Studies, the Ogden and Mary Louise Reid Cinema Archives and the Department of Film Studies. What largely sets this school apart from other colleges and universities is its specific focus on undergraduate study for those interested in “image making, history and studies.”

Notable alums include Michael Bay, Toby Emmerich, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jon Turteltaub, Joss Whedon, and Bradley Whitford.

The above information on the best film schools is a great starting point for aspiring film students to consider not only the type of program that might best suit them but also in which part of the country they want to pursue their undergraduate or graduate experience. But to come to a confident decision, students should reach out to each prospective school and inquire further about what that particular college or university has to offer, as each will have a different style of teaching and perspective on the filmmaking world.

Though competitive and rigorous, film school also can be a period of great creative exploration. And as with most experiences, those years will largely be what each student makes of them. For future filmmakers, it’s the time, focus and energy they put into film school that will ultimately determine what they get out of their time there.