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 vs. selectivity rank
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | 5yr Earn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film | 326 | 12,036 | 53% / 47% | 7% | $43,701 |
| Film Production | 119 | 4,566 | 55% / 45% | 9% | $41,410 |
| Film Studies | 125 | 2,030 | 53% / 47% | 4% | $42,859 |
| Film and Media Studies | 10 | 743 | 49% / 51% | 8% | $44,545 |
| Cinema and Television Arts | 1 | 424 | 60% / 40% | 8% | $41,169 |
| Film and Media Arts | 7 | 360 | 49% / 51% | 11% | $48,506 |
| Film | 6 | 323 | 57% / 43% | 8% | $39,640 |
| Radio-Television-Film | 1 | 302 | 44% / 56% | 2% | $59,060 |
| Film and Television | 3 | 249 | 40% / 60% | 15% | $58,276 |
| Film and Electronic Arts | 1 | 230 | 57% / 43% | 3% | |
| Film and Digital Media | 2 | 229 | 59% / 41% | 3% | $41,036 |
| Cinema | 3 | 215 | 60% / 40% | 7% | $46,101 |
| Radio, Television, Film, and Production | 1 | 179 | 54% / 46% | 1% | $43,137 |
| Broadcasting | 11 | 168 | 60% / 40% | 2% | $50,172 |
| Radio, Television, and Film | 2 | 167 | 42% / 58% | 5% | $49,804 |
| Radio-TV-Film | 1 | 149 | 52% / 48% | 1% | $43,536 |
| Film and Media | 2 | 127 | 33% / 67% | 15% | $33,789 |
| Film/Video | 3 | 118 | 36% / 64% | 13% | $34,338 |
| Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 4 | 113 | 51% / 49% | 4% | $41,934 |
| Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts | 1 | 104 | 59% / 41% | 1% | $55,277 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 5 | 94 | 44% / 56% | 3% | $43,396 |
| Film and Television Production | 1 | 90 | 47% / 53% | 19% | $51,159 |
| Film and Animation | 1 | 86 | 43% / 57% | 0% | $47,790 |
| Television, Film, and New Media | 1 | 84 | 54% / 46% | 5% | $46,942 |
| Film, Television, and Media | 1 | 75 | 47% / 53% | 0% | $53,188 |
| Radio-Television | 1 | 74 | 59% / 41% | 0% | $47,950 |
| Film and Visual Culture | 1 | 72 | 47% / 53% | 15% | $41,934 |
| Film and Video Arts | 4 | 69 | 52% / 48% | 32% | $44,653 |
| Cinema and Digital Media | 1 | 68 | 41% / 59% | 21% | $44,804 |
| Filmmaking | 1 | 67 | 42% / 58% | 1% | $46,343 |
| Film, Television and Media Arts | 1 | 53 | 51% / 49% | 4% | |
| Radio, Television, Film and Theatre | 1 | 52 | 73% / 27% | 0% | $40,573 |
| Film and Video | 3 | 44 | 52% / 48% | 9% | $44,311 |
| Film/Animation/Video | 1 | 39 | 51% / 49% | 18% | $50,993 |
| Media and Cinema Studies | 1 | 36 | 56% / 44% | 6% | $71,926 |
| Cinematic Arts and Technology | 1 | 32 | 66% / 34% | 6% | $41,258 |
| Film and Television Studies | 1 | 30 | 53% / 47% | 3% | |
| Television | 1 | 22 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $45,439 |
| Film and Media Production | 2 | 20 | 60% / 40% | 0% | $48,005 |
| Film/Video Technology | 2 | 20 | 85% / 15% | 0% | $36,021 |
| Photography and Film | 1 | 18 | 67% / 33% | 0% | $35,613 |
| Broadcasting and Electronic Media | 1 | 15 | 40% / 60% | 7% | $38,191 |
| Cinema and Media Arts | 1 | 12 | 25% / 75% | 0% | |
| Television Broadcasting | 1 | 12 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $48,935 |
| Cinema Studies | 1 | 9 | 89% / 11% | 0% | |
| Digital Film and Video Production | 1 | 8 | 75% / 25% | 0% | |
| Film, Television, and Interactive Media | 1 | 8 | 38% / 62% | 25% | $46,963 |
| Film/Cinema/Media Studies | 5 | 7 | 71% / 29% | 0% | $45,379 |
| Film + Media | 1 | 7 | 71% / 29% | 29% | |
| Film and Video Production | 2 | 6 | 17% / 83% | 17% | |
| Film and Photography | 1 | 6 | 50% / 50% | 0% | |
| Film and Visual Media | 1 | 4 | 25% / 75% | 25% | |
| Media, Journalism, and Film | 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $38,795 |