Best Film Schools Near Decatur, GA (2026)

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

Decatur, Georgia has 5 accredited schools offering film programs. Decatur has a population of about 24,470. Median household income is $140,480 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 77.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area, the top-earning film-related role is Sound Engineering Technicians at a median $86,610 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Decatur

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

Emory University

Atlanta, GA 2.1 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,137
Avg net price $22,585/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 112

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Georgia State University

Atlanta, GA 5.3 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,384
Avg net price $15,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 133

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Morehouse College

Atlanta, GA 7.0 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,889
Avg net price $39,013/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Oglethorpe University

Atlanta, GA 7.5 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
42.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,232
Avg net price $19,509/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Atlanta Metropolitan State College

Atlanta, GA 7.5 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
32.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,252
Avg net price $5,258/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 41%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

American InterContinental University-Atlanta

Atlanta, GA 12.1 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,144
Avg net price $16,482/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 30%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Clayton State University

Morrow, GA 12.4 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
50.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,179
Avg net price $8,365/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Georgia Gwinnett College

Lawrenceville, GA 22.1 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,730
Avg net price $15,844/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Film Wages Near Decatur

Decatur is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area (BLS area code 12060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Georgia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Film and Video Editors $55,290 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $55,235
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $76,250 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $76,174
Producers and Directors $79,950 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $79,870
Special Effects Artists and Animators $76,110 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $76,034
Audio and Video Technicians $52,180 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $52,128
Sound Engineering Technicians $86,610 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $86,523
Writers and Authors $81,990 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $81,908
Graphic Designers $62,680 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $62,617

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.

Decatur at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 24,470 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $140,480 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 77.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.1 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Decatur-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Decatur, GA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near Decatur. The closest is Emory University in Atlanta, GA (2.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Oglethorpe University (7.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Decatur?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Decatur are: Sound Engineering Technicians ($86,610), Writers and Authors ($81,990), Producers and Directors ($79,950). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Georgia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Atlanta instead of Decatur?

Atlanta, GA is 7.3 miles from Decatur 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 Decatur an affordable place to study film?

Decatur’s median household income of $140,480 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Decatur while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Georgia 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 Decatur

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

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 Georgia: Online Programs (2026)