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Film producer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a film producer. Film producers usually study photography, communication, or music. 73% of film producers hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 467 real film producer resumes to see exactly what film producer education sections show.

The most common colleges for film producers are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.

There are also many online film producer courses to help get the education required to be a film producer.

What education do you need to become a film producer?

What degree do you need to be a film producer?

The most common degree for film producers is bachelor's degree, with 73% of film producers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 10% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 73%
  • Master's, 10%
  • Associate, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a film producer?

You should major in photography to become a film producer. 31% of film producers major in photography. Other common majors for a film producer include communication and music.

Most common colleges for film producers

Film producers often get their degrees at Full Sail University, University of Southern California, and New York University. Here are the most common colleges for film producers in the US based on their resumes.
Film producer common collegePercentages
Full Sail University10.29%
University of Southern California10.29%
New York University7.35%
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill5.88%
Tufts University5.88%

Best majors for film producers

RankMajorPercentages
1Photography30.9%
2Communication12.6%
3Music5.3%
4English5.3%
5Entertainment Business4.9%

Best colleges for film producers

The best colleges for film producers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

A film producer 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 producers. 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 producers.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

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 producers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for film producers

The most affordable schools for film producers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for film producers 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 producers.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

8. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for film producers

The hardest universities for film producers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for film producers 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 producers 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

14%

SAT average

1,531

7. Hamilton College

Clinton, NY • Private

Admissions rate

21%

SAT average

1,446

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for film producers

The easiest schools for film producers to get into are Barry University, notre dame de namur university, and la roche college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a film producer 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 producers.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

6. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

7. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

8. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

9. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average film producer salary by education level

According to our data, film producers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $55,199 annually. Film producers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $50,131.
Film producer education levelFilm producer salary
Master's Degree$55,199
Bachelor's Degree$50,131

Film producer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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