California is the most popular destination for undergraduate film students. The Golden State is perhaps the ideal spot for filmmakers to begin their careers, as it is home to some of the best film schools in the country and offers several internship possibilities.
Film degree programs are accessible in California’s public and private schools and universities. Many institutions provide different tracks within the major to assist students in focusing their education.
Film programs are generally fairly hands-on, allowing students to work with the instruments they will need in their professions. Most programs require students to complete a thesis, dissertation, project, or film at the end of the program.
California has more than 60 colleges and universities that offer film programs. In this blog, we’ll discuss the best film schools in California.
Top 10 Film Schools in California
1. University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts
The University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts is America’s oldest film school and is often regarded as the most effective route to Hollywood. Award-winning instructors teach the fundamentals of traditional filmmaking and how to adapt them to a wide range of platforms, including playable cinema (think video games) and collaborative filmmaking.
Undergraduate alumni include writers Greg Levine (Parks and Recreation) and showrunner Eric Newman (Narcos, Narcos: Mexico). George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, began making short films at USC.
USC SCA is one of the most selective film schools, with an admission rate of only 3% (compared to FilmSchool.org’s 35%). It is also regarded as being more competitive than other film schools and encouraging students to work outside of their comfort zones. Students are prepared to transition directly from the classroom to film sets thanks to rigorous academics and a mix of theoretical and hands-on practice.
SCA has two undergraduate film programs:
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film & Television Production
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Writing for Screen & Television
USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, in collaboration with SCA, provides two undergraduate cinema programs:
- Bachelor of Arts in Cinematic Arts, Film and Television Production
- Bachelor of Arts in Cinema & Media Studies
Undergraduates can now pursue a Bachelor of Science in Business of Cinematic Arts (BCA), a cinema program offered jointly by the Marshall School of Business and SCA. This degree program trains talent agents and film industry leaders to become development executives, talent agents, producers, and directors. The program is only open to Marshall freshmen in their first semester and has a maximum enrollment of 55 students per year.
USC provides an astounding 18 minors in all areas of filmmaking:
- 3-D Animation
- Cinematic Arts
- Cinema-Television for Health Professionals
- Comedy
- Digital Studies
- Documentary
- Entertainment Industry
- Future Cinema
- Game Animation
- Game Audio
- Game Design
- Game Entrepreneurism
- Game Studies
- Game User Media
- Immersive Media
- Media and Social Change
- Screenwriting
- Themed Entertainment
Despite the high annual tuition and fees, first-year students from homes earning $80,000 or less per year can attend USC SCA completely free. The campus is in University Park, about an 11-minute drive from downtown Los Angeles; nonetheless, the neighborhood is slightly less safe than the other film schools on this list.
2. Chapman University Dodge College of Film and Media Arts
Chapman University Dodge College of Film & Media Arts, located in picturesque Orange County, is noted for its collaborative environment, commitment to excellence, and the production of writer-directors the Duffer Brothers (Stranger Things) and other film industry heavyweights.
Chapman University was rated fourth on The Hollywood Reporter’s annual ranking of the top 25 film schools in America in 2022, for the third year in a row. It also boasts a solid academic foundation; the average freshman has a 3.89 GPA.
Undergraduate film students at Dodge College can major in both the creative and business aspects of filmmaking.
- Film & Television Production
- Animation and Visual Effects
- Creative Producing
- Writing for Film and Television
- Public Relations, Advertising and Entertainment Marketing
Dodge College provides 132,000 square feet of studio space and cutting-edge film equipment. Hands-on workshops taught by industry veterans cover the complexities of visual storytelling, and students retain complete ownership of their films. In the spring, undergraduates show their films at the Folino Theater, which seats 500 people on campus.
It also provides fantastic networking and job chances with major television and production firms like Netflix. Apple, Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Warner Bros. are some of the top employers for Dodge College alumni. The Alumni Mentor Program also connects undergraduate film students and recent graduates with industry professionals.
Master Classes introduce young filmmakers to Hollywood heavyweights and Oscar winners like actress Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once, Crazy Rich Asians), writer-director Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio), and writer-director-producer Hwang Dong-hyuk (Squid Game).
It is slightly further away from the “big five” film studios in Los Angeles than other top-tier film schools. Driving to Culver City, Burbank, or Universal City, where the majority of big studios are located, can take more than two hours. Undergraduates can avoid driving by using the university’s Monthly Metrolink Pass and ride-sharing services.
3. Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television
Loyola Marymount University SFTV provides excellent undergraduate film programs with a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio, a welcoming campus culture, and high-quality academics. The university has a graduation rate of little more than 80%, and U.S. News & World Report ranks LMU 14th for Best Undergraduate Teaching.
The Jesuit film school helps undergraduates become acclaimed filmmakers while also broadening their perspectives and delivering tales about the human condition. LMU SFTV is also located on one of Los Angeles’ most scenic campuses for film students, with Venice Beach and Santa Monica just a 20-minute drive away.
- LMU SFTV provides two Bachelor of Arts film programs.
- Film and Television Production
- Film, TV, and Media Studies
LMU SFTV is likewise dedicated to offering the greatest equipment and resources for its undergraduate film students. Undergraduate film students have access to cutting-edge equipment like RED One and Arri cameras. The second site in Playa Vista offers 35,000 square feet dedicated to SFTV classes.
LMU SFTV guarantees that undergraduate film students are well-connected in the industry. The university provides access to hundreds of major and indie film organizations and studios. Alumni work at 21st Century Fox Studios, NBCUniversal, Nickelodeon Studios, and DreamWorks.
4. California Institute of the Arts School of Film/Video
The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) School of Film/Video, founded by Walt Disney, is one of California’s and the country’s best film schools for budding animators. Famous animators who attended CalArts include Tim Burton (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, Wednesday), writer-director Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph), and John Lasseter, chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios.
For the third year in a row, Animation Career Review ranked CalArts as the best animation program in the US. However, undergraduate film students who work in other mediums benefit greatly from the film school’s extraordinarily creative environment. CalArts’ three BFA programs teach undergraduates how to create films via a technical, lyrical, and poetic lens to fulfill their creative potential.
- Film and Video
- Experimental Animation
- Character Animation
5. ArtCenter College of Design
ArtCenter College of Design, located in Pasadena, California, about 35 minutes east of West Hollywood, attracts student filmmakers who want to learn about commercial and theatrical filmmaking. In 2022, Variety named ArtCenter one of the top 30 film schools in America.
Undergraduate film students learn how to make narrative films from day one in courses taught by respected industry veterans such as writer-director Joy Kecken (The Wire), editor Lynzee Klingman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ali), and Star Trek series composer Dennis McCarthy. ArtCenter College of Design is also widely regarded as one of the best film schools for advertising and commercial production, with Professor Megan Webster casting over 600 commercials on campus.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film provides cross-disciplinary collaboration and three concentrations:
- Editing
- Directing
- Cinematography
The Bachelor of Science in Entertainment Design is appropriate for undergraduates interested in animation and illustration. Undergraduates can concentrate on one of three areas:
- Animation
- Concept (I.e., Industry concept design)
- Game Design
6. University of California Los Angeles School of Theater, Film & Television
UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television educates film from both academic and technical perspectives. In 2021, TheWrap rated UCLA TFT eighth on its annual list of the top 50 film schools. In 2022, U.S. News & World Report ranked UCLA as the top public university for the sixth year in a row.
This historic film program is just outside of West Hollywood and has over 11,000 graduates, including industry legends like famous filmmaker and Executive Board member Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now) and writer Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull).
The campus lies in Westwood, which was ranked one of the greatest places to live in California by Niche.com. Westwood Village, only a four-minute walk away, offers a variety of dining, shopping, and entertainment opportunities, including red-carpet premieres at the Regency Theaters on Broxton Avenue.
UCLA TFT provides the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film, Television, and Digital Media. Freshmen and sophomores take 1-2 courses every quarter to prepare for their majors and fulfill UCLA’s general education requirements; the undergraduate curriculum focuses on film theory and cinematic history before transitioning to hands-on instruction. Juniors take television and digital media production classes, and seniors focus on one of six areas:
- Film Production/Directing
- Screenwriting
- Cinematography
- Animation
- Digital media
- Editing/Postproduction
UCLA TFT is a highly competitive program for a large public university, with only 4% of undergraduate students accepted annually. Despite concerns raised by the university’s Academic Senate in 2020, the undergraduate film program remains widely sought after by budding filmmakers around the country. According to an official department statement, UCLA TFT has reevaluated its film training processes comprehensively and is committed to increasing transparency.
7. California State University Northridge Department of Cinema and Television Arts
CSUN’s Department of Cinema and Television Arts provides a comprehensive undergraduate filmmaking experience at a more affordable cost. The Hollywood Reporter put CSUN CTVA at number 25 on its list of the top 25 film schools (tied with Northwestern University), praising the school’s commitment to affordability and diversity: More than 25% of the student body identifies as Hispanic or Latino. Emmy Award winner Ryan Mallick (RuPaul’s Drag Race, Project Runway) is among the alumni who work on popular television shows.
The institution has a smaller donor base than private film schools but a larger undergraduate cohort (about 1,600 students per year). However, CSUN CTVA’s rigorous concentration on producing high-quality narrative films, as well as advantages for serious filmmakers like the CSUN Cinematheque screening program, enable it to compete with private film schools.
Undergraduate film students can select one of the following concentrations:
- Emerging Media Production
- Entertainment Media Management
- Film Production
- Media Theory and Criticism
- Screenwriting
- Television Production – Documentary
- Television Production – Narrative
Production courses are taught on local sets as well as on-campus television and film facilities. CSUN CTVA is around a 25-minute drive from Universal City and 15 minutes from Burbank, California. The cheaper cost of living in the San Fernando Valley also makes CSUN CTVA an attractive option for undergraduates looking to study film in California without incurring additional fees.
8. San Francisco State University School of Cinema
Although some aspiring film students may believe Los Angeles is superior to the Bay Area, the sustained success of San Francisco State University’s School of Cinema demonstrates otherwise. The film school is located 30 minutes outside of the historic city core, and undergraduate students have access to classic, worldwide recognized film shoot locations.
SFSU’s film department may be appropriate for undergraduates seeking a more foundational understanding of cinema. As FilmSchool.org user Cheyon Jain says in his interview on life after film school, SFSU brings together students who are passionate about critically analyzing films without having to complete production courses.
San Francisco State University provides a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema with three areas of focus.
- Animation
- Filmmaking
- Cinema & Media Studies
SFSU stresses cinema criticism and theory; no portfolio is necessary for admission. To advance to 300-level and above courses in the BA in Cinema, undergraduates must first pass a few fundamental courses and lower-division general education prerequisites.
Non-film degree programs Undergraduates interested in film or taking classes to prepare for a graduate film program can minor in two fields:
- Animation
- Cinema
SF State University’s August Coppola Theater, named after August Coppola, a benefactor and driving force behind the university’s creative interdisciplinary arts curriculum, screens student films. Undergraduate film students can also develop professional connections through the city’s unique creative associations, such as the Filmmakers Collaborative and The Bay Area Film Mixer. San Francisco is also a top city for LGBTQ+ creators and filmmakers.
9. Pepperdine University Seaver College
Though not a traditional film school, Pepperdine University Seaver College has good undergraduate film degree programs that teach budding filmmakers the fundamentals of cinema theory and narrative.
10. University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara offers a solid combination of theoretical and hands-on production courses for aspiring filmmakers. The film school’s concentration on interdisciplinary studies, paired with its significant research effect, may appeal to undergraduate cinema students who are interested in both critical and creative viewpoints.
UCSB focuses on fiction and nonfiction cinema history and philosophy, television and broadcasting, digital media, and video art and activism. These topics are integrated throughout the Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Studies. To be admitted to the major, undergraduate film students must declare a pre-film and Media Studies major. Admission requires passing three core film courses and maintaining a GPA of at least 2.0.
California citizens pay far less than non-residents, but more than the average state school; non-residents must spend about $70,000 in tuition each year. Though UCSB originally had a reputation as a party school, the climate has changed. Today, UCSB’s academics and retention rates are particularly good.
Although UCSB is 97 miles away from Los Angeles, the film school provides numerous options for student production and internships. Alumni have interned and worked for DreamWorks, Pixar Animation Studios, Warner Brothers, the Discovery Channel, and Disney.
Conclusion
Selecting the best video production school is an important step in establishing a successful career in the industry.
The best film schools in California include the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television, Chapman University Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, ArtCenter College of Design, and California Institute of the Arts School of Film/Video. They provide several possibilities for young filmmakers to learn, grow, and network with industry pros.
By taking into account criteria like reputation, curriculum, specialization possibilities, and networking opportunities, you can make an informed decision about the finest film school in California for your specific objectives and artistic vision.
