Best Film Schools Near Bradenton, FL (2026)

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

Bradenton, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering film programs, with tuition ranging from $34,408 to $51,614 per year for indexed programs. Bradenton has a population of about 56,289. Median household income is $60,964 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Florida, the top-earning film-related role is Special Effects Artists and Animators at a median $85,870 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Bradenton

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

State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota

Bradenton, FL 3.7 miles from Bradenton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,318
Avg net price $22,356/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Film Wages Near Bradenton

Bradenton is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL metro area (BLS area code 35840). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Film and Video Editors $59,990 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL $58,584
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $62,220 FL statewide $60,762
Producers and Directors $67,780 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL $66,191
Special Effects Artists and Animators $85,870 FL statewide $83,857
Audio and Video Technicians $71,540 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL $69,863
Sound Engineering Technicians $70,360 FL statewide $68,711
Writers and Authors $60,640 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL $59,219
Graphic Designers $54,530 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL $53,252

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.

Bradenton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 56,289 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $60,964 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 102.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Bradenton-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Bradenton, FL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near Bradenton. The closest is State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota in Bradenton, FL (3.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is The University of Tampa (32.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Bradenton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Bradenton are: Special Effects Artists and Animators ($85,870), Audio and Video Technicians ($71,540), Sound Engineering Technicians ($70,360). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Sarasota instead of Bradenton?

Sarasota, FL is 10.6 miles from Bradenton 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 Bradenton an affordable place to study film?

Bradenton’s median household income of $60,964 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bradenton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Bradenton

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

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 Florida: Online Programs (2026)