List of All U.S. Colleges with a Film Major
Film majors study the history and practice of filmmaking. College programs focus on giving students a holistic education, incorporating theory, still photography, editing, and practical production skills.  In this post, we’ll discuss what to look for when you’re choosing a film program, which U.S. colleges have a film major, and your chances of getting accepted to the program of your choice.   Film majors usually begin their studies with introductory courses that lay out the core concepts and practices in production, writing, and theory—all of which approach the medium of film from a different vantage point. Once students have been exposed to foundational ideas and processes, they can take courses in more specific topics:  Production  Theory  Some schools require students to choose a focus within the field in order to hone their skills, while others allow students to mix and match based on their own personal agendas.   In general, film majors should understand the manifold nature of filmmaking and film studies. Because a film is made up of so many moving parts (literally), creating one is a vast undertaking, requiring a team effort, several pieces of equipment, settings or props, and editing to put it all together seamlessly. Since film is a combination of several media forms, it’s important for film majors to thrive in an interdisciplinary environment, at least understanding (and preferably having practical experience in) all aspects of production.  The multimedia nature of film also means that there are a lot of technical skills involved in creating a film. Film majors should be comfortable with and highly motivated to learn technical skills. Those who lack technical aptitude might be able to focus on the screenwriting and theoretical aspects of film studies, but most film programs require all majors to take production courses.  One of the most important skills a film major can have is being able to work collaboratively. Films are a group effort; during production, each person’s individual role is fragmentary—satisfaction comes from the final product that emerges from a cooperative effort.   Because there is no single career path for a film major, the decision to go to grad school is largely personal.  Film majors who focus on theory might be more inclined to go to grad school, or even make a career in academia. Otherwise, they may choose careers more geared towards humanities majors.  But the bulk of film majors aspire to careers in the film and television industry. In this case, it’s all about getting as much experience as possible. A degree is only worth what it provides in terms of training and practical experience. Going to grad school is useful for anyone looking for more specialized training or opportunities to build a portfolio.   Most film majors go on to careers in the film and television industry. Common roles include Director, Producer, Set Designer, Editor, Director of Photography, AV Technician, and Production Manager. These jobs have average or better projected growth.      Undergraduate film programs don’t typically require students to have any special film-related qualifications prior to application. Instead, grades, test scores, extracurriculars, and essays will determine the likelihood of acceptance.   If you want to know your personal chances of acceptance, we recommend using our Chancing Engine (it’s free). Unlike other calculators, it takes into account a large portion of your individual profile, including academic stats and more qualitative factors like extracurriculars.Overview of Film Major
What Does It Take to Succeed as a Film Major?
Finally, majoring in film requires a strong work ethic. Creating a film is a big time commitment that doesn’t always go according to schedule. When things go wrong, patience and problem-solving make troubleshooting and adapting much easier.What About Grad School?
What Can I Do With a Film Major?
What to Look for in a College as a Film Major
List of All U.S. Colleges With a Film Major
School
City
State
University of California, Riverside | UC Riverside
Riverside
California
University of California, Irvine | UC Irvine
Irvine
California
Claremont McKenna College | CMC
Claremont
California
Lawrence University
Appleton
Wisconsin
Clemson University
Clemson
South Carolina
Connecticut College
New London
Connecticut
Rhodes College
Memphis
Tennessee
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie
New York
University of Alaska Fairbanks | UAF
Fairbanks
Alaska
University of Idaho
Moscow
Idaho
University of Hartford
West Hartford
Connecticut
Pennsylvania State University | PSU
University Park
Pennsylvania
University of California, Santa Barbara | UCSB
Santa Barbara
California
University of Richmond
University of Richmond
Virginia
Champlain College
Burlington
Vermont
University of Vermont | UVM
Burlington
Vermont
Middlebury College
Middlebury
Vermont
Bennington College
Bennington
Vermont
Brigham Young University | BYU
Provo
Utah
University of the Arts | UArts
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
University of Kansas
Lawrence
Kansas
Brandeis University
Waltham
Massachusetts
Wellesley College
Wellesley
Massachusetts
University of Chicago
Chicago
Illinois
DePauw University
Greencastle
Indiana
Purdue University
West Lafayette
Indiana
Denison University
Granville
Ohio
Kenyon College
Gambier
Ohio
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware
Ohio
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor
Michigan
Eastern Michigan University | EMU
Ypsilanti
Michigan
Rutgers University–New Brunswick | Rutgers
New Brunswick
New Jersey
Union University
Jackson
Tennessee
Eckerd College
Saint Petersburg
Florida
Colorado College
Colorado Springs
Colorado
Fordham University
Bronx
New York
Franklin and Marshall College | F&M
Lancaster
Pennsylvania
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg
Pennsylvania
Chapman University
Orange
California
University of Georgia
Athens
Georgia
University of Nevada, Las Vegas | UNLV
Las Vegas
Nevada
Stanford University
Stanford
California
Tufts University
Medford
Massachusetts
Boston College | BC
Chestnut Hill
Massachusetts
Harvard University
Cambridge
Massachusetts
Northeastern University
Boston
Massachusetts
Boston University | BU
Boston
Massachusetts
Calvin College
Grand Rapids
Michigan
Grand Valley State University | GVSU
Allendale
Michigan
Lipscomb University
Nashville
Tennessee
Vanderbilt University
Nashville
Tennessee
Ohio State University | OSU
Columbus
Ohio
Lafayette College
Easton
Pennsylvania
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore
Pennsylvania
Cornell University
Ithaca
New York
Dartmouth College
Hanover
New Hampshire
University of Rochester
Rochester
New York
University of Missouri | Mizzou
Columbia
Missouri
Stephens College
Columbia
Missouri
California State University, Long Beach | Long Beach State
Long Beach
California
University of Oregon
Eugene
Oregon
Hollins University
Roanoke
Virginia
University of California, Davis | UC Davis
Davis
California
University of Arizona
Tucson
Arizona
Michigan State University
East Lansing
Michigan
Miami University
Oxford
Ohio
University of California, Berkeley | UC Berkeley
Berkeley
California
Whitman College
Walla Walla
Washington
Eastern Washington University | EWU
Cheney
Washington
Clark University
Worcester
Massachusetts
College of the Holy Cross | Holy Cross
Worcester
Massachusetts
Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
Norton
Massachusetts
Carleton College
Northfield
Minnesota
University of New Mexico | UNM
Albuquerque
New Mexico
Tulane University
New Orleans
Louisiana
Dillard University
New Orleans
Louisiana
Portland State University | PSU
Portland
Oregon
George Fox University | GFU
Newberg
Oregon
Muhlenberg College
Allentown
Pennsylvania
Morehouse College
Atlanta
Georgia
Baldwin Wallace University | BW
Berea
Ohio
Oberlin College
Oberlin
Ohio
Bowling Green State University | BGSU
Bowling Green
Ohio
San Francisco State University | SF State
San Francisco
California
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee | UWM
Milwaukee
Wisconsin
Smith College
Northampton
Massachusetts
Amherst College
Amherst
Massachusetts
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley
Massachusetts
University of Pittsburgh | Pitt
Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania
Carnegie Mellon University | CMU
Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania
Maryland Institute College of Art | MICA
Baltimore
Maryland
University of Oklahoma
Norman
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City University | OCU
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma
Emory University
Atlanta
Georgia
Georgia State University
Atlanta
Georgia
University of Nebraska–Lincoln | UNL
Lincoln
Nebraska
Rhode Island College | RIC
Providence
Rhode Island
University of Louisiana at Lafayette | UL Lafayette
Lafayette
Louisiana
Occidental College
Los Angeles
California
Coe College
Cedar Rapids
Iowa
University of Iowa
Iowa City
Iowa
Hamilton College
Clinton
New York
Webster University
Saint Louis
Missouri
Washington University in St. Louis | WashU
Saint Louis
Missouri
Wayne State University | WSU
Detroit
Michigan
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago
Illinois
University of California, Los Angeles | UCLA
Los Angeles
California
Pepperdine University
Malibu
California
Loyola Marymount University | LMU
Los Angeles
California
University of Denver
Denver
Colorado
University of Colorado Boulder | CU Boulder
Boulder
Colorado
University of Maryland, College Park | Maryland
College Park
Maryland
Oakland University
Rochester Hills
Michigan
University of Tulsa
Tulsa
Oklahoma
University of South Carolina | USC
Columbia
South Carolina
University of Utah
Salt Lake City
Utah
University of Toledo
Toledo
Ohio
Wright State University
Dayton
Ohio
Westminster College (Utah)
Salt Lake City
Utah
Willamette University
Salem
Oregon
Wesleyan University
Middletown
Connecticut
University of Pennsylvania | UPenn
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
Southern Methodist University | SMU
Dallas
Texas
University of Southern California | USC
Los Angeles
California
Barnard College
New York
New York
Hunter College | CUNY Hunter
New York
New York
Pace University
New York
New York
New School
New York
New York
University of the Pacific
Stockton
California
University of Washington
Seattle
Washington
Seattle University
Seattle
Washington
Yale University
New Haven
Connecticut
American University
Washington
Washington DC
Howard University
Washington
Washington DC
What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?