Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Film critic education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a film critic. Film critics usually study photography, english, or communication. 80% of film critics hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 310 real film critic resumes to see exactly what film critic education sections show.
The most common colleges for film critics are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online film critic courses to help get the education required to be a film critic.
What education do you need to become a film critic?
What degree do you need to be a film critic?
- Bachelor's, 80%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 5%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a film critic?
- Photography, 21%
- English, 18%
- Communication, 13%
- Journalism, 11%
- Other Majors, 37%
Most common colleges for film critics
| Film critic common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 18.97% |
| Emerson College | 5.17% |
| Boston University | 5.17% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.17% |
| The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler | 5.17% |
Best majors for film critics
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photography | 21.4% |
| 2 | English | 17.7% |
| 3 | Communication | 13.2% |
| 4 | Journalism | 11.4% |
| 5 | Writing | 7.7% |
Best colleges for film critics
The best colleges for film critics are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A film critic with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for film critics. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become film critics.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
10. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
20 best online courses for film critics
Advertising disclosure
1. Filmmaking: Write, Direct and Distribute Your Feature Film
Skip Film School! Learn to be a Film Director and Distribute Your Movie Around the World...
2. Soundtrack Composer Masterclass: Score Films and Video Games
Compose Epic Music Soundtracks Scores For Film, TV, & Video Games. Master Orchestration With Software. Be A Composer...
3. Screenwriting 101: Writing for Film & Television
Real World Film School. Learn Film & TV from someone with a 30+ year career selling Film & TV Screenplays & Producing TV...
4. Beginner's Course in Film Making and Video Production
Learn video production and story techniques to make your vision come to life.. Get financing, Get on IMDB fast and easy...
5. Hollywood Film School: Filmmaking & TV Directing Masterclass
Learn How to Be a Working Hollywood Director, Take Your Filmmaking, Film School & Video Production to the Next Level...
6. Social Media Film School: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube & AI
4-in-1 Course + Chat GPT to Supercharge Your Videography, Video Editing & Social Media Content Chat GPT 4 & Filmmaking...
7. Movies: The Art of Film
The Ultimate and Complete Art of Filmmaking Course With Practical Examples From Movies...
8. Secrets to Successful Documentary Film Production
Go behind-the-scenes with 24-EXCLUSIVE, VIDEO-BASED lessons covering everything from the PLANNING, to the SHOOTING, and...
9. LIGHTING for Film and Television
Learn to tell stories with light in a 6-hour, immersive, funny course with sketch comedy and two complete short films...
10. Storyboarding for Film & Animation Part 2
Become a Storyboard Artist, learn professional skills for story boarding for Film, Animation & Gaming...
11. Cinematic Wedding Films: A Guide to Wedding Videography
A guide to making emotional cinematic wedding films that will take you to the next level as a filmmaker...
12. Film Scoring - Part 1 - Techniques For The Modern Composer
Master the Art of Composing For Film and Learn To Find Gigs Doing It...
13. Film, TV, & Video Game Music Composition + Production Basics
#1 Music Composition, Production, Technology, & Business Course...
14. SOUND for Film and Television
A 2-1/2-hour, entertaining, funny, and immersive romp into what you need to know to start getting great sound...
15. Trading Options for Weekly Income
Learn To Profit From Trading Weekly Options...
16. Learn to Storyboard for Film or Animation
Storyboarding for Beginners to Pro...
17. The Shorts Film School: YouTube, Instagram Reels, TikTok+
Easy Step-by-step guide to making Social Media Videos: Shorts, Reels & Stories for You Tube, Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok...
18. Film using ANY Camera! Basics of Shooting Video Correctly
Complete guide to filming on a Phone, DSLR, Mirrorless, or Cinema Camera...
19. Weekly Options Trading - Credit Spreads & Iron Condors
My Blueprint for Trading Weekly Options...
20. Facebook Marketing - How I Reach 2,000,000 People Weekly
Facebook Marketing & Facebook Advertising strategies I use to reach 2,000,000 + people weekly. Build a successful brand!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for film critics
The most affordable schools for film critics are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for film critics are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for film critics.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for film critics
The hardest universities for film critics to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for film critics are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for film critics based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for film critics
The easiest schools for film critics to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a film critic without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for film critics.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
5. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
Average film critic salary by education level
| Film critic education level | Film critic salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $87,965 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $83,465 |
Film critic education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
Search for film critic jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025