Every year, The Wrap creates a list of what it deems to be the top film schools in the United States. This year, the list has a bit of a shakeup.

The benefits of film school are pretty easy to see: if you go to a good one, you can learn how to use equipment and refine your craft, and also network once you graduate.


The downside of film school is the cost and financial burden it can place on you. Also, there's some wisdom in getting a degree that can help you support yourself as you're trying to break into Hollywood.

We've even broken down a list of pros and cons on the topic. And I went deep on the cost of getting my MFA in screenwriting.

After all, this is No Film School, a website dedicated to helping you get the lessons you'd have in film school for free. And helping you continue to elevate your understanding.

Still, this list is valuable to anyone considering the option of higher education.

As I said earlier, visit The Wrap for details about each school, but here's the list.

The Top Film Schools in 2023

  1. American Film Institute
  2. University of Southern California
  3. New York University
  4. Chapman University
  5. Loyola Marymount University
  6. Emerson
  7. Cal Arts
  8. Columbia
  9. UCLA
  10. University of Texas, Austin
  11. UNC School of the Arts
  12. Wesleyan
  13. Savannah College of Art and Design
  14. Art Center College of Design
  15. Stanford
  16. Florida State University
  17. Columbia College Chicago
  18. Cal State Northridge
  19. Syracuse
  20. Boston University
  21. University of Miami
  22. Northwestern University
  23. Ringling College of Art and Design
  24. University of Arizona
  25. Ithaca
  26. Rhode Island School of Design
  27. Rutgers
  28. Stony Brook University
  29. DePaul
  30. Pratt Institute
  31. Hofstra
  32. San Francisco State
  33. Los Angeles Film School
  34. Arizona State
  35. School of Visual Arts
  36. University of California, Santa Barbara
  37. University of California, Berkeley
  38. University of Michigan
  39. American University
  40. University of Pennsylvania
  41. School of the Art Institute, Chicago
  42. Biola University
  43. Full Sail University
  44. University of Colorado, Boulder
  45. New York Film Academy
  46. Colorado Film School
  47. Mount St. Mary's
  48. University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
  49. John's Hopkins/MICA
  50. Morehouse University