Best Film Schools Near Pensacola, FL (2026)

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

Pensacola, Florida has 1 accredited school offering film programs. Pensacola has a population of about 54,011. Median household income is $72,699 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.7% 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 Pensacola

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

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL 172.4 miles from Pensacola
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,675
Avg net price $11,297/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 148

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Santa Fe College

Gainesville, FL 289.2 miles from Pensacola
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,631
Avg net price $11,098/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Eckerd College

Saint Petersburg, FL 330.7 miles from Pensacola
  • 4 year
38.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,819
Avg net price $38,071/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Jacksonville University

Jacksonville, FL 332.8 miles from Pensacola
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,010
Avg net price $25,180/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

The University of Tampa

Tampa, FL 332.9 miles from Pensacola
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,436
Avg net price $36,211/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,408
Out‑of‑state$34,408
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Hillsborough Community College

Tampa, FL 333.9 miles from Pensacola
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,782
Avg net price $3,861/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 88

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota

Bradenton, FL 346.9 miles from Pensacola
  • 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

#8

Ringling College of Art and Design

Sarasota, FL 352.3 miles from Pensacola
  • 4 year
42.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,325
Avg net price $57,742/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Film Wages Near Pensacola

Pensacola is part of the Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL metro area (BLS area code 37860). 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 $60,430 FL statewide $61,853
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $62,220 FL statewide $63,685
Producers and Directors $72,000 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL $73,695
Special Effects Artists and Animators $85,870 FL statewide $87,892
Audio and Video Technicians $48,170 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL $49,304
Sound Engineering Technicians $70,360 FL statewide $72,016
Writers and Authors $68,080 FL statewide $69,683
Graphic Designers $58,230 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL $59,601

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.

Pensacola at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 54,011 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $72,699 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 42.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Pensacola-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Pensacola, FL?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering film programs near Pensacola. The closest is University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL (61.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of South Alabama (61.4 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Pensacola?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Pensacola are: Special Effects Artists and Animators ($85,870), Producers and Directors ($72,000), 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 Foley instead of Pensacola?

Foley, AL is 28.7 miles from Pensacola 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 Pensacola an affordable place to study film?

Pensacola’s median household income of $72,699 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Pensacola 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 Pensacola

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

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)