Best Film Schools Near Arvada, CO (2026)

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

Arvada, Colorado has 5 accredited schools offering film programs, with tuition ranging from $15,666 to $78,476 per year for indexed programs. Arvada has a population of about 122,835. Median household income is $113,396 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, the top-earning film-related role is Film and Video Editors at a median $93,600 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Arvada

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

Front Range Community College

Westminster, CO 7.7 miles from Arvada
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,910
Avg net price $13,031/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 87

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Red Rocks Community College

Lakewood, CO 7.7 miles from Arvada
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,288
Avg net price $9,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Emily Griffith Technical College

Denver, CO 10.6 miles from Arvada
  • 2 year
  • Accredited
74.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,487
Avg net price $7,197/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:Accreditor: Council on Occupational EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, CO 13.8 miles from Arvada
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
73.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,738
Avg net price $25,346/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,666
Out‑of‑state$44,918
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Denver

Denver, CO 14.6 miles from Arvada
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,155
Avg net price $36,131/yr
Tuition
In‑state$61,398
Out‑of‑state$61,398
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 116

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

Denver, CO 17.7 miles from Arvada
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
61.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,270
Avg net price $11,900/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,383
Out‑of‑state$29,391
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Community College of Aurora

Aurora, CO 20.1 miles from Arvada
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
47.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,592
Avg net price $8,656/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,470
Out‑of‑state$17,070
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Colorado College

Colorado Springs, CO 70.2 miles from Arvada
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
63.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 18%
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,222
Avg net price $33,375/yr
Tuition
In‑state$70,734
Out‑of‑state$70,734
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Film Wages Near Arvada

Arvada is part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (BLS area code 19740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Film and Video Editors $93,600 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $88,469
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $74,990 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $70,879
Producers and Directors $80,590 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $76,172
Special Effects Artists and Animators $91,290 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $86,285
Audio and Video Technicians $57,970 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $54,792
Sound Engineering Technicians $60,060 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $56,767
Writers and Authors $69,100 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $65,312
Graphic Designers $72,500 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $68,526

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.

Arvada at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 122,835 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $113,396 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 50.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 105.8 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Arvada-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Arvada, CO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near Arvada. The closest is Front Range Community College in Westminster, CO (7.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Denver (14.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Arvada?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Arvada are: Film and Video Editors ($93,600), Special Effects Artists and Animators ($91,290), Producers and Directors ($80,590). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Wheat Ridge instead of Arvada?

Wheat Ridge, CO is 4.8 miles from Arvada 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 Arvada an affordable place to study film?

Arvada’s median household income of $113,396 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Arvada while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado 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 Arvada

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

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 Colorado: Online Programs (2026)