Best Film Schools Near Northampton, MA (2026)

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

Northampton, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering film programs. Northampton has a population of about 28,640. Median household income is $78,467 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 61.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Massachusetts, the top-earning film-related role is Film and Video Editors at a median $92,130 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Northampton

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

Smith College

Northampton, MA 1.9 miles from Northampton
  • 4 year
66.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,027
Avg net price $27,579/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Film Wages Near Northampton

Northampton is part of the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area (BLS area code 11200). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Film and Video Editors $92,130 MA statewide $91,946
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $61,320 MA statewide $61,198
Producers and Directors $79,700 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $79,541
Special Effects Artists and Animators $80,640 MA statewide $80,479
Audio and Video Technicians $67,100 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $66,966
Sound Engineering Technicians $63,250 MA statewide $63,124
Writers and Authors $65,290 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $65,160
Graphic Designers $65,510 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $65,379

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.

Northampton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 28,640 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $78,467 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 61.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.2 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Northampton-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Northampton, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near Northampton. The closest is Smith College in Northampton, MA (1.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Hartford (36.5 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Northampton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Northampton are: Film and Video Editors ($92,130), Special Effects Artists and Animators ($80,640), Producers and Directors ($79,700). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Holyoke instead of Northampton?

Holyoke, MA is 8.1 miles from Northampton 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 Northampton an affordable place to study film?

Northampton’s median household income of $78,467 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Northampton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 Northampton

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

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 Massachusetts: Online Programs (2026)