Ann Arbor, Michigan has 5 accredited schools offering film programs. Ann Arbor has a population of about 121,179. Median household income is $81,089 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 77.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Ann Arbor, MI metro area, the top-earning film-related role is Special Effects Artists and Animators at a median $83,530 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Film Schools to Ann Arbor
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer film programs near Ann Arbor, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Ann Arbor 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Ann Arbor.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$83,648
Avg net price
$13,138/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 206
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$39,449
Avg net price
$3,249/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Michigan schools on the Michigan film page.
Film Wages Near Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor is part of the Ann Arbor, MI metro area (BLS area code 11460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.
| Occupation |
Median Wage |
Source |
COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
| Film and Video Editors |
$59,100 |
MI statewide |
$58,573 |
| Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film |
$55,290 |
MI statewide |
$54,797 |
| Producers and Directors |
$67,600 |
Ann Arbor, MI |
$66,997 |
| Special Effects Artists and Animators |
$83,530 |
Ann Arbor, MI |
$82,785 |
| Audio and Video Technicians |
$45,160 |
Ann Arbor, MI |
$44,757 |
| Sound Engineering Technicians |
$51,840 |
MI statewide |
$51,378 |
| Writers and Authors |
$37,330 |
Ann Arbor, MI |
$36,997 |
| Graphic Designers |
$55,020 |
Ann Arbor, MI |
$54,529 |
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.
Ann Arbor at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
121,179 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$81,089 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
77.7% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
100.9 (above U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Ann Arbor-Area Cities With Film Programs
- Ypsilanti, MI – 6.1 mi away (21,018 pop)
- South Lyon, MI – 13.4 mi away (123,555 pop)
- Westland, MI – 18.2 mi away (81,545 pop)
- Novi, MI – 18.7 mi away (59,211 pop)
- Romulus, MI – 19.0 mi away (23,281 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited film schools are near Ann Arbor, MI?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near Ann Arbor. The closest is University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in Ann Arbor, MI (0.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Michigan-Dearborn (25.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying film roles near Ann Arbor?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Ann Arbor are: Special Effects Artists and Animators ($83,530), Producers and Directors ($67,600), Film and Video Editors ($59,100). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Ypsilanti instead of Ann Arbor?
Ypsilanti, MI is 6.1 miles from Ann Arbor 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 Ann Arbor an affordable place to study film?
Ann Arbor’s median household income of $81,089 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ann Arbor while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Ann Arbor
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Ann Arbor:
- History programs in Ann Arbor, MI
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- Theology programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Library Science programs in Ann Arbor, MI
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- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Medical Assistant programs in Ann Arbor, MI
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- Health Science programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Entrepreneurship programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Interior Design programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Photography programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Sustainability Management programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Journalism programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Public Relations programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Communication Disorders programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Speech Pathology programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Technical Communication programs in Ann Arbor, MI
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- Economics programs in Ann Arbor, MI
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- Forensic Accounting programs in Ann Arbor, MI
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- Hospitality Management programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- International Business programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Organizational Leadership programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Management Information Systems programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Nonprofit Management programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Operations Management programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Public Administration programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Real Estate programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Recreation Management programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Retail Management programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Risk Management programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Statistics programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Taxation programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Corrections programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Crime Analysis programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Criminology programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Cybercrime programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Emergency Management programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Fire Science programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Forensic Science programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Legal Services programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Legal Studies programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Paralegal programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Security Management programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Cloud Computing programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Computer Engineering programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Innovation programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Mobile App Development programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Software Development programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- User Experience programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Web Development programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Machine Learning programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Supply Chain Management programs in Ann Arbor, MI
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- Special Education programs in Ann Arbor, MI
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- Marketing programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Finance programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Kinesiology programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Sports Management programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Early Childhood Education programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Elementary Education programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Biology programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Communications programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Graphic Design programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Human Services programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- MBA programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Criminal Justice programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Nursing programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Business Administration programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Computer Science programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Psychology programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Education programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Engineering programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Technology programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Liberal Arts programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Healthcare programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Cybersecurity programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Accounting programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Healthcare Administration programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Social Work programs in Ann Arbor, MI
- Counseling programs in Ann Arbor, MI
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.
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