What you'll do in college
Film majors learn to tell stories through moving images. Coursework covers screenwriting, cinematography, directing, editing, sound design, and production management, with increasing emphasis on digital tools and post-production software. You'll spend most of your time on set or in editing suites, making short films and collaborating with classmates who take on different crew roles each project.
Many programs screen and critique student work regularly, and senior thesis films can take an entire year to produce. Internships at production companies, studios, or post-production houses are common and often lead to first jobs.
What you'll do after college
Grads work as directors, cinematographers, editors, screenwriters, producers, and production assistants at studios, streaming platforms, advertising agencies, and independent production companies. Many start in assistant or entry-level crew roles and work their way up.
New York and Los Angeles remain the industry centers, but Atlanta, London, and other cities have grown significantly. The career path is competitive and often freelance-based, but the explosion of content across streaming platforms has created more opportunities than ever. Many grads pursue MFAs in film to deepen their craft or teach.
Famous graduates
- Steven Spielberg — Legendary director; B.A. in Film and Electronic Arts from CSULB
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
By SAT median
Earnings by acceptance rate and institution category
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film | 330 | 12,109 | 52% / 48% | 6% | $47,356 | 94% |
| Film Production | 122 | 4,467 | 54% / 46% | 7% | $45,169 | 94% |
| Film Studies | 130 | 1,948 | 52% / 48% | 4% | $46,287 | 96% |
| Film and Media Studies | 10 | 686 | 46% / 54% | 7% | $51,113 | 93% |
| Cinema and Television Arts | 1 | 463 | 60% / 40% | 6% | $46,336 | 92% |
| Film | 8 | 402 | 53% / 47% | 5% | $41,540 | 94% |
| Film and Media Arts | 7 | 327 | 48% / 52% | 11% | $48,689 | 93% |
| Film and Television | 3 | 304 | 38% / 62% | 15% | $58,824 | 91% |
| Radio-Television-Film | 1 | 289 | 46% / 54% | 2% | $54,806 | 96% |
| Cinema | 2 | 202 | 57% / 43% | 4% | $45,526 | 90% |
| Radio, Television, Film, and Production | 1 | 202 | 58% / 42% | 0% | $45,027 | 91% |
| Radio, Television, and Film | 2 | 197 | 43% / 57% | 6% | $53,396 | 95% |
| Film and Digital Media | 2 | 183 | 60% / 40% | 2% | $43,728 | 94% |
| Radio-TV-Film | 1 | 178 | 58% / 42% | 1% | $48,645 | 95% |
| Film and Media | 2 | 170 | 42% / 58% | 14% | $57,143 | 86% |
| Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 2 | 145 | 59% / 41% | 6% | $46,012 | 92% |
| Broadcasting | 10 | 144 | 61% / 39% | 5% | $48,971 | 96% |
| Film/Video | 3 | 118 | 40% / 60% | 12% | $48,654 | 91% |
| Film and Media Production | 2 | 114 | 64% / 36% | 6% | $48,050 | 94% |
| Cinema Studies | 2 | 111 | 66% / 34% | 1% | $46,410 | 90% |
| Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts | 1 | 111 | 57% / 43% | 2% | $55,085 | 98% |
| Film and Television Production | 1 | 102 | 47% / 53% | 11% | $56,250 | 93% |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 5 | 94 | 49% / 51% | 4% | $47,143 | 94% |
| Television, Film, and New Media | 1 | 93 | 62% / 38% | 2% | $43,104 | 93% |
| Film, Television, and Media | 1 | 90 | 50% / 50% | 3% | $63,026 | 93% |
| Film and Visual Culture | 1 | 85 | 26% / 74% | 14% | $47,863 | 92% |
| Cinema and Digital Media | 1 | 76 | 55% / 45% | 29% | $54,003 | 95% |
| Radio-Television | 1 | 75 | 52% / 48% | 1% | $57,016 | 97% |
| Filmmaking | 1 | 71 | 48% / 52% | 3% | $44,109 | 97% |
| Film and Animation | 1 | 67 | 40% / 60% | 3% | $52,310 | 95% |
| Film Production & Creative Development | 1 | 60 | 67% / 33% | 3% | $47,545 | 92% |
| Radio, Television, Film and Theatre | 1 | 58 | 69% / 31% | 0% | $46,651 | 95% |
| Film and Video | 3 | 51 | 59% / 41% | 6% | $41,753 | 93% |
| Film/Animation/Video | 1 | 50 | 34% / 66% | 22% | $46,148 | 91% |
| Film and Electronic Arts | 1 | 46 | 57% / 43% | 7% | $42,526 | |
| Film, Television and Media Arts | 1 | 46 | 63% / 37% | 0% | $49,145 | 100% |
| Cinematic Arts and Technology | 1 | 41 | 66% / 34% | 0% | $29,568 | 97% |
| Media and Cinema Studies | 1 | 39 | 44% / 56% | 3% | $76,905 | 97% |
| Film and Television Studies | 1 | 27 | 37% / 63% | 0% | $31,784 | 84% |
| Photography and Film | 1 | 27 | 59% / 41% | 4% | $57,908 | 92% |
| Film/Video Technology | 1 | 23 | 39% / 61% | 0% | $55,604 | |
| Broadcasting and Electronic Media | 1 | 21 | 57% / 43% | 0% | $37,974 | 96% |
| Television | 1 | 20 | 45% / 55% | 0% | $53,994 | 96% |
| Cinema and Media Arts | 1 | 12 | 33% / 67% | 33% | $71,717 | |
| Film and Photography | 1 | 12 | 8% / 92% | 0% | $37,699 | |
| Film/Cinema Studies | 9 | 11 | 64% / 36% | 9% | $48,836 | 92% |
| Film, Television, and Interactive Media | 1 | 11 | 18% / 82% | 27% | $47,654 | 96% |
| Television Broadcasting | 1 | 8 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $50,208 | 100% |
| Film/Cinema/Media Studies | 5 | 6 | 83% / 17% | 0% | $42,941 | 97% |
| Film and Video Production | 2 | 6 | 67% / 33% | 0% | $33,462 | 100% |
| Cinema & Media Studies | 1 | 6 | 17% / 83% | 17% | $45,948 | 96% |
| Digital Film and Video Production | 1 | 6 | 33% / 67% | 0% | $46,308 | |
| Film and Visual Media | 1 | 6 | 33% / 67% | 0% | $67,905 | |
| Film and Video Arts | 3 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $47,581 | 96% |
| Broadcasting Technology | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $63,876 | |
| Media, Journalism, and Film | 1 | 0 | $41,612 | 91% |