Best Film Schools Near Saint Joseph, MO (2026)

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

Saint Joseph, Missouri has 4 accredited schools offering film programs. Saint Joseph has a population of about 71,542. Median household income is $55,578 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Missouri, the top-earning film-related role is Producers and Directors at a median $66,460 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Saint Joseph

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

Missouri Western State University

Saint Joseph, MO 1.9 miles from Saint Joseph
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
37.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,647
Avg net price $13,251/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Film Wages Near Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph is part of the St. Joseph, MO-KS metro area (BLS area code 41140). 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 $57,950 MO statewide $67,072
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film N/A MO statewide –
Producers and Directors $66,460 MO statewide $76,921
Special Effects Artists and Animators $65,470 MO statewide $75,775
Audio and Video Technicians $50,680 MO statewide $58,657
Sound Engineering Technicians $61,750 MO statewide $71,470
Writers and Authors $58,140 MO statewide $67,292
Graphic Designers $49,690 St. Joseph, MO-KS $57,512

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.

Saint Joseph at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 71,542 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $55,578 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 86.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Saint Joseph-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Saint Joseph, MO?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering film programs near Saint Joseph. The closest is Missouri Western State University in Saint Joseph, MO (1.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Kansas (59.9 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Saint Joseph?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Saint Joseph are: Producers and Directors ($66,460), Special Effects Artists and Animators ($65,470), Sound Engineering Technicians ($61,750). 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 Leavenworth instead of Saint Joseph?

Leavenworth, KS is 30.7 miles from Saint Joseph 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 Saint Joseph an affordable place to study film?

Saint Joseph’s median household income of $55,578 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Saint Joseph 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 Saint Joseph

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

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)