Top 10 Film Schools in the World

Let’s see the top 10 film schools in the world, where you can get the best education and good basis for working in film and media business.

Even though the most and the oldest film schools are located in Europe and the USA, other parts of the world are not that far behind nowadays. The film industry and legacy differ in different countries and regions. That is why education in the field of film differs throughout the world. The most famous and the oldest film industry is Hollywood, and therefore it still somewhat dictates trends. Because of that, and also marketing race all of the institutions throughout the world are trying to offer the best education in the movie industry, and also newest equipment and modern facilities. That is why they can be somewhat compared by the quality of programs they offer.

It is a tough work picking the best film schools in the world. There will always be that one more that should have been put on the list for this or that reason. Since there is no uniform ranking (or any universal ranking system) for this matter, there are individual opinions and ratings based on different criteria. At Film Making the ranking is done by website visitors. Top Universities, Variety and Hollywood Reporter give a nice review of the best film schools, info on tuition fee, but no ranking criteria. Nevertheless, we have taken their suggestions in mind as they are a professional reliable sources. On the other hand Video Blocks Education has done some calculation based on some Hollywood Reporter’s rankings through years, so we have also checked their data in the end. For even further insight we have checked some regional film schools from sources like Cineuropa or Quora. And finally, we have checked if all the schools on our list belong to CILECT (Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et de Télévision), an organization that includes only the best educational schools and institutes concerning film and television.

But for more specified regions we have made lists of the best film schools that you can check out. Those are Best Film Schools in Europe, and for the North America there are 10 Best Film Schools in the US and 7 Best Film Schools in Canada. And now there’s even more. Let’s see what other film schools around the world are at the top:

10. Film and Television Institute of India

This institute is a part of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting supported by the Indian Government. It was founded in 1960 in New Delhi, India, and it is leading Indian institution concerning film and media. They offer programs in fields of direction and screenplay writing, cinematography, sound design and recording, editing, acting, production design and many more, mainly for undergraduate studies.

9. Bejing Film Academy

Founded in 1950, Bejing Film Academy is one of the institutions in this field with the oldest tradition, and it is also the leading and the largest Asian institution for film studies. They offer many bachelor and master study programs such as animation, performing arts, sound design, film directing, cinematography, film studies, etc.

8. Toronto Film School

This school is considered to be one of the leading film schools in Canada, having all modern equipment and facilities, which comes as no surprise being established in 2001. As relatively new in the film industry, this school’s ranking is growing fast, especially as the school constantly adds new programs (like video game design since 2014, for example).

7. Centro de Capacitacion Cinematografica

Since the 70s, this has been the leading film school in Mexico, their alumni working in high positions in production, studios, as well as in governmental media and film institutions. Students are encouraged to present their work at international film festivals, especially in the US.

6. Australian Film, Television and Radio School

This school has been on stage since the 70s, but has gained new facilities in 2008 next to Fox Studios. The school offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs, and also radio courses and short courses. In their own words, they are the only film school in the world that encompasses all the programs and studios for film, television, and radio in one facility.

5. Sam Spiegel Film and Television School, Tel Aviv University

This is one among best Israeli film schools, and among the top film schools in the world, and also the first national school in this field. This school’s students have won many international awards, like the film Anna, winning the first place at the 2016 Cannes Festival.

4. La Femis

This school has a long tradition among French film schools, being established in 1944 (under the name of Institut Des Hautes Etudes Cinématographiques – IDHEC). The school offers education for all levels of studies, in many fields including documentary, screenwriting, production, cinema management, screenwriting, directing, production, editing, cinematography, etc.

3. American Film Institute – AFI

Started as an institution with the purpose to preserve film legacy of the USA, AFI has done much more in 50 years of its existence. Today it is one of the most renowned film schools in the USA. They offer education in general film, cinematography, editing, production, production design and screenwriting.

2. Polish National Film, Television and Theatre School in Łódź 

This is a post-WW2 institute, planned to be placed in Warsaw after city’s reconstruction, but it remained in Łódź. Since then it has remained a renowned film school, and not only famous for their cinematography achievements (winning 3 Oscars, 10 Palme d’Or, 7 Golden Bears and many more), but also as a place that encouraged freedom of art and speech (especially in communist times).

1. USC School of Cinematic Arts

USC is among the top and oldest film schools in the US, and also among the top film schools in the world. Established in 1929, it has a long list of notable alumni like George Lucas, for example, who has also donated a facility to USC for 3D technologies and digital theaters.