Best Film Schools Near Kirkwood, MO (2026)

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

Kirkwood, Missouri has 4 accredited schools offering film programs. Kirkwood has a population of about 29,302. Median household income is $117,439 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 66.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area, the top-earning film-related role is Producers and Directors at a median $82,750 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Kirkwood

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

Webster University

Saint Louis, MO 4.1 miles from Kirkwood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
42.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,876
Avg net price $27,047/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 105

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Washington University in St Louis

St. Louis, MO 7.6 miles from Kirkwood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
85.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,182
Avg net price $21,786/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 167

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, MO 14.9 miles from Kirkwood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
50.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,278
Avg net price $19,638/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Stephens College

Columbia, MO 105.5 miles from Kirkwood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
50.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,071
Avg net price $23,459/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Missouri-Columbia

Columbia, MO 105.9 miles from Kirkwood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,403
Avg net price $20,268/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 156

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Missouri State University-Springfield

Springfield, MO 182.8 miles from Kirkwood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,827
Avg net price $17,613/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 200

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Missouri-Kansas City

Kansas City, MO 226.3 miles from Kirkwood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,637
Avg net price $13,310/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Kansas City Art Institute

Kansas City, MO 226.4 miles from Kirkwood
  • 4 year
30.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,032
Avg net price $27,650/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Film Wages Near Kirkwood

Kirkwood is part of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area (BLS area code 41180). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Film and Video Editors $72,300 St. Louis, MO-IL $76,025
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $71,360 St. Louis, MO-IL $75,037
Producers and Directors $82,750 St. Louis, MO-IL $87,014
Special Effects Artists and Animators $75,820 St. Louis, MO-IL $79,727
Audio and Video Technicians $52,030 St. Louis, MO-IL $54,711
Sound Engineering Technicians $61,750 St. Louis, MO-IL $64,932
Writers and Authors $57,390 St. Louis, MO-IL $60,347
Graphic Designers $61,000 St. Louis, MO-IL $64,143

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.

Kirkwood at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 29,302 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $117,439 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 66.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Kirkwood-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Kirkwood, MO?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering film programs near Kirkwood. The closest is Webster University in Saint Louis, MO (4.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (88.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Kirkwood?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Kirkwood are: Producers and Directors ($82,750), Special Effects Artists and Animators ($75,820), Film and Video Editors ($72,300). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Missouri statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Webster Groves instead of Kirkwood?

Webster Groves, MO is 3.6 miles from Kirkwood 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 Kirkwood an affordable place to study film?

Kirkwood’s median household income of $117,439 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kirkwood while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Missouri 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 Kirkwood

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

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 Missouri: Online Programs (2026)