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Film maker education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a film maker. Film makers usually study photography, communication, or business. 73% of film makers hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 207 real film maker resumes to see exactly what film maker education sections show.
The most common colleges for film makers are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online film maker courses to help get the education required to be a film maker.
What education do you need to become a film maker?
What degree do you need to be a film maker?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 9%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Associate, 7%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a film maker?
- Photography, 23%
- Communication, 18%
- Business, 6%
- Fine Arts, 6%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for film makers
| Film maker common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 10.00% |
| University of North Texas | 6.67% |
| San Francisco State University | 6.67% |
| Santa Clara University | 6.67% |
| College of Idaho | 6.67% |
Best majors for film makers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photography | 23.5% |
| 2 | Communication | 18.4% |
| 3 | Business | 6.1% |
| 4 | Fine Arts | 6.1% |
| 5 | Marketing | 5.1% |
Best colleges for film makers
The best colleges for film makers are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Southern California.
A film maker 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 makers. 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 makers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Enrollment
32,072
8. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for film makers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for film makers
The most affordable schools for film makers are California State University - Long Beach, university of florida, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for film makers 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 makers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for film makers
The hardest universities for film makers to get into are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for film makers 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 makers 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
10. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for film makers
The easiest schools for film makers to get into are Barry University, university of the incarnate word, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a film maker 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 makers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
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. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
Average film maker salary by education level
| Film maker education level | Film maker salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $72,192 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $59,398 |
Film maker education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025