Best Film Schools Near Hot Springs, AR (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Hot Springs, Arkansas has 4 accredited schools offering film programs. Hot Springs has a population of about 38,023. Median household income is $46,441 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Arkansas, the top-earning film-related role is Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film at a median $48,680 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Hot Springs

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer film programs near Hot Springs, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Hot Springs 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 Hot Springs. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

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#1

University of Central Arkansas

Conway, AR 52.6 miles from Hot Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,938
Avg net price $16,511/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Southern Arkansas University Tech

Camden, AR 62.5 miles from Hot Springs
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,376
Avg net price $9,018/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

South Arkansas College

El Dorado, AR 91.3 miles from Hot Springs
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,521
Avg net price $7,486/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Harding University

Searcy, AR 91.4 miles from Hot Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,876
Avg net price $22,130/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 100

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

John Brown University

Siloam Springs, AR 145.0 miles from Hot Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,907
Avg net price $20,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Film Wages Near Hot Springs

Hot Springs is part of the Hot Springs, AR metro area (BLS area code 26300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arkansas statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Film and Video Editors $48,480 AR statewide $56,569
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $48,680 AR statewide $56,803
Producers and Directors $38,820 AR statewide $45,298
Special Effects Artists and Animators N/A AR statewide –
Audio and Video Technicians $43,910 AR statewide $51,237
Sound Engineering Technicians N/A AR statewide –
Writers and Authors $47,970 AR statewide $55,974
Graphic Designers $39,580 Hot Springs, AR $46,184

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.

Hot Springs at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 38,023 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $46,441 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 85.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Hot Springs-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Hot Springs, AR?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering film programs near Hot Springs. The closest is University of Central Arkansas in Conway, AR (52.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Harding University (91.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Hot Springs?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Hot Springs are: Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film ($48,680), Film and Video Editors ($48,480), Writers and Authors ($47,970). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arkansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Benton instead of Hot Springs?

Benton, AR is 27.8 miles from Hot Springs 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.

Is Hot Springs an affordable place to study film?

Hot Springs’s median household income of $46,441 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hot Springs while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arkansas public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

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 Hot Springs

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

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 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Film Schools in Arkansas: Online Programs (2026)