Other L.A., NYC Area Film Schools
The best local and community college programs in or near entertainment hubs.
CALIFORNIA
Azusa Pacific University
This year, the Southern California institution added a soundstage and a new Foley stage and revamped its postproduction lab thanks to a $300,000 gift to the school, which is based in Azusa.
Biola University
Longtime veteran AMC Networks executive Tom Halleen, who worked on The Walking Dead and Mad Men, is the dean of the Christian university’s film program. In 2026, the school, located in La Mirada, will open a new massive complex that will feature a 3,000-foot soundstage, color-grading suites and a game-design lab.
California State University, Long Beach
The school offers a newly introduced bachelor of arts in cinematic arts, where students can select an industry focus after two years in the program. The Long Beach-based school also introduced a travel class titled Film & Festival & World Cinema, in which students journey to Italy to immerse themselves in international cinema.
California State University, Los Angeles
This school offers undergraduate and graduate options through the television, film and media studies department at a lower price tag than many other L.A.-area schools. Its student-run filmmaking club, Golden Eagle Productions, offers its young filmmakers project funding, equipment rentals, production experience, guest speakers and more.
NEW YORK
City College New York
CCNY’s film program, established in 1941, offers a BFA. Undergraduate students can enter a fiction or documentary filmmaking track, where tuition for in-state students now runs less than $4,000 a semester. The curriculum includes classes in journalism and film studies.
Purchase College, State University of New York
The school features a list of notable alumni, including Abel Ferrara and Azazel Jacobs, whose latest film, His Three Daughters, arrives this fall via Netflix. In-state residents only pay $7,070 per year in undergraduate tuition fees, while out-of-state students pay just $17,320.
Rutgers University
The Rutgers Filmmaking Center offers a BFA in filmmaking. Students can immerse themselves in individualized fiction and documentary production courses, though the New Jersey school is known for its Documentary Film Lab headed by Oscar winner Thomas Lennon.
State University of New York at Stony Brook
Stony Brook offers an MFA in television writing and an MFA film program, providing students with a hands-on, project-driven learning environment. The film program includes directing, writing, producing and independent tracks and features a faculty of industry experts including Past Lives producers Pamela Koffler and Christine Vachon (the latter also serves as artistic director).
