U.S TOP 10 FILM SCHOOLS

Top 10 Film Schools | Best Film Schools | Top Film Programs

Top Ten Film Schools

School rankings for top film programs are actually quite numerous and accessible. However, much like most college rankings, the lists come from for-profit publications or academic institutions themselves, which makes it difficult to judge their objectiveness. Still, certain widely-trusted sources, such as U.S. News and World Report (www.usnews.com) and Princeton Review (www.princetonreview.com), have compiled fairly similar rankings of film schools. When reviewing such lists, be sure to know the criteria which were used to formulate the rankings. A good study should take into account class sizes, number of instructors with Ph.D.s, availability of research and hands-on opportunities, demographic composition and outside support in the form of grants.

Still, when one compiles all the rankings out there for film schools, only a handful of schools keep showing up in the top ten slots, only in a slightly different order. For example, The University of Southern California, New York University, American Film Institute and The University of California - Los Angeles all appear in the top five slots of the rankings published by U.S. News, Princeton Review and Cinema101.com.

If one goes by the listings of U.S. News, the top ten film schools in America are as follows:

• New York University
• University of Southern California
• University of California - L.A.
• American Film Institute
• California Institute of the Arts
• Columbia University (N.Y.C.)
• School of the Arts Institute of Chicago
• University of Texas - Austin
• Florida State University
• Northwestern University (IL)

However, Princeton Review would handle the arrangement differently, with USC first and NYU second. Furthermore, Princeton Review includes Chapman University and Loyola Marymount at the bottom of its list.

Ultimately though, these rankings should only offer prospective students a place to start. One should always follow up by researching the school itself. Compare programs and ask yourself which school tops your list.

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