Best Film Schools Near San Jose, CA (2026)

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

San Jose, California has 5 accredited schools offering film programs. San Jose has a population of about 990,054. Median household income is $141,565 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 46.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, the top-earning film-related role is Special Effects Artists and Animators at a median $156,950 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to San Jose

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer film programs near San Jose, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from San Jose 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 San Jose. 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

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 15.9 miles from San Jose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,072
Avg net price $7,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, CA 19.6 miles from San Jose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
95.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $124,080
Avg net price $13,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 100

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, CA 44.1 miles from San Jose
  • 4 year
46.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,414
Avg net price $53,909/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 45.0 miles from San Jose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,077
Avg net price $12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 102

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA 45.2 miles from San Jose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
20.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,008
Avg net price $40,613/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 45.4 miles from San Jose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,446
Avg net price $13,481/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 127

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Solano Community College

Fairfield, CA 66.2 miles from San Jose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,170
Avg net price $4,669/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA 84.8 miles from San Jose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,986
Avg net price $12,885/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Film Wages Near San Jose

San Jose is part of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area (BLS area code 41940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Film and Video Editors $88,490 CA statewide $80,154
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $106,900 CA statewide $96,830
Producers and Directors $129,790 CA statewide $117,563
Special Effects Artists and Animators $156,950 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $142,165
Audio and Video Technicians $73,100 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $66,214
Sound Engineering Technicians $78,150 CA statewide $70,788
Writers and Authors $118,810 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $107,618
Graphic Designers $97,360 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $88,188

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.

San Jose at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 990,054 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $141,565 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 46.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 110.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other San Jose-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near San Jose, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near San Jose. The closest is West Valley College in Saratoga, CA (9.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Chabot College (27.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near San Jose?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near San Jose are: Special Effects Artists and Animators ($156,950), Producers and Directors ($129,790), Writers and Authors ($118,810). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Campbell instead of San Jose?

Campbell, CA is 6.0 miles from San Jose 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 San Jose an affordable place to study film?

San Jose’s median household income of $141,565 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Jose while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California 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 San Jose

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

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 California: Online Programs (2026)