Best Film Schools Near Boulder, CO (2026)

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

Boulder, Colorado has 5 accredited schools offering film programs, with tuition ranging from $15,666 to $78,476 per year for indexed programs. Boulder has a population of about 106,274. Median household income is $85,364 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 76.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Colorado, the top-earning film-related role is Special Effects Artists and Animators at a median $91,290 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Boulder

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

Boulder, CO 1.6 miles from Boulder
  • 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

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

Film Wages Near Boulder

Boulder is part of the Boulder, CO metro area (BLS area code 14500). 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 $84,620 CO statewide $80,437
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $74,990 CO statewide $71,283
Producers and Directors $81,500 Boulder, CO $77,471
Special Effects Artists and Animators $91,290 CO statewide $86,778
Audio and Video Technicians $59,990 Boulder, CO $57,025
Sound Engineering Technicians $60,630 CO statewide $57,633
Writers and Authors $83,540 Boulder, CO $79,411
Graphic Designers $67,680 Boulder, CO $64,335

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.

Boulder at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 106,274 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $85,364 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 76.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 105.2 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Boulder-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Boulder, CO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near Boulder. The closest is University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder, CO (1.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Denver (28.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Boulder?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Boulder are: Special Effects Artists and Animators ($91,290), Film and Video Editors ($84,620), Writers and Authors ($83,540). 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 Louisville instead of Boulder?

Louisville, CO is 6.9 miles from Boulder 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 Boulder an affordable place to study film?

Boulder’s median household income of $85,364 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Boulder 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 Boulder

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

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)