Best Film Schools Near Rockford, IL (2026)

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

Rockford, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering film programs, with tuition ranging from $4,788 to $14,400 per year for indexed programs. Rockford has a population of about 147,649. Median household income is $53,328 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning film-related role is Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film at a median $100,170 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Rockford

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

College of Lake County

Grayslake, IL 54.2 miles from Rockford
  • 2 year
  • Accredited
47.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,424
Avg net price $7,607/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,788
Out‑of‑state$14,400
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 72.4 miles from Rockford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,363
Avg net price $29,167/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 167

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

DePaul University

Chicago, IL 78.3 miles from Rockford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,751
Avg net price $30,902/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 166

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL 78.5 miles from Rockford
  • 4 year
24.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,195
Avg net price $26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL 81.9 miles from Rockford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
93.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $91,885
Avg net price $14,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 105

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Governors State University

University Park, IL 89.2 miles from Rockford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,169
Avg net price $12,329/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL 92.6 miles from Rockford
  • 4 year
62.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,971
Avg net price $22,736/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Carbondale, IL 314.2 miles from Rockford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,390
Avg net price $13,297/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 121

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Film Wages Near Rockford

Rockford is part of the Rockford, IL metro area (BLS area code 40420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Film and Video Editors $72,460 IL statewide $78,590
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $100,170 IL statewide $108,644
Producers and Directors $41,250 Rockford, IL $44,740
Special Effects Artists and Animators $81,180 IL statewide $88,048
Audio and Video Technicians $60,740 IL statewide $65,879
Sound Engineering Technicians $73,130 IL statewide $79,317
Writers and Authors $68,220 IL statewide $73,991
Graphic Designers $54,530 Rockford, IL $59,143

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.

Rockford at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 147,649 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $53,328 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 23.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Rockford-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Rockford, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near Rockford. The closest is University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in Whitewater, WI (43.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is DePaul University (78.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Rockford?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Rockford are: Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film ($100,170), Special Effects Artists and Animators ($81,180), Sound Engineering Technicians ($73,130). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Loves Park instead of Rockford?

Loves Park, IL is 6.3 miles from Rockford 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 Rockford an affordable place to study film?

Rockford’s median household income of $53,328 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rockford while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Rockford

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

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 Illinois: Online Programs (2026)