Best Film Schools Near Opelika, AL (2026)

Opelika, Alabama has 5 accredited schools offering film programs, with tuition ranging from $6,088 to $21,981 per year for indexed programs. Opelika has a population of about 35,005. In the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area, the top-earning film-related role is Audio and Video Technicians at a median $79,810 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Film Schools to Opelika

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer film programs near Opelika, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Opelika city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Opelika. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville, AL 83.3 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,235
Avg net price $14,279/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of South Alabama

Mobile, AL 213.5 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,379
Avg net price $17,648/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 87

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama film page.


Film Wages Near Opelika

Opelika is part of the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area (BLS area code 12220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Film and Video Editors $74,410 AL statewide $84,653
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $61,800 AL statewide $70,307
Producers and Directors $69,170 Auburn-Opelika, AL $78,692
Special Effects Artists and Animators N/A AL statewide
Audio and Video Technicians $79,810 Auburn-Opelika, AL $90,796
Sound Engineering Technicians N/A AL statewide
Writers and Authors $66,950 AL statewide $76,166
Graphic Designers $53,120 Auburn-Opelika, AL $60,432

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Opelika at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 87.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Opelika-Area Cities With Film Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Opelika, AL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near Opelika. The closest is Columbus State University in Columbus, GA (27.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Atlanta Metropolitan State College (91.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Opelika?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Opelika are: Audio and Video Technicians ($79,810), Film and Video Editors ($74,410), Producers and Directors ($69,170). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Auburn instead of Opelika?

Auburn, AL is 7.5 miles from Opelika and has its own set of local film programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Film Programs

Other Programs Available in Opelika

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Opelika:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.