Best Film Schools Near Durham, NC (2026)

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

Durham, North Carolina has 4 accredited schools offering film programs, with tuition ranging from $45,312 to $65,548 per year for indexed programs. Durham has a population of about 288,465. Median household income is $79,234 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 55.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, the top-earning film-related role is Special Effects Artists and Animators at a median $109,320 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Durham

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

Saint Augustine's University

Raleigh, NC 20.8 miles from Durham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
24.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,730
Avg net price $24,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 31%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

High Point University

High Point, NC 61.0 miles from Durham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
62.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,389
Avg net price $38,707/yr
Tuition
In‑state$45,312
Out‑of‑state$45,312
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Winston Salem, NC 74.7 miles from Durham
  • 4 year
56.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,357
Avg net price $14,906/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Cape Fear Community College

Wilmington, NC 131.8 miles from Durham
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,654
Avg net price $9,610/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Wilmington, NC 134.5 miles from Durham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,967
Avg net price $20,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Blue Ridge Community College

Flat Rock, NC 203.1 miles from Durham
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,324
Avg net price $5,756/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Film Wages Near Durham

Durham is part of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area (BLS area code 20500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Film and Video Editors $60,020 NC statewide $61,496
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $62,720 NC statewide $64,262
Producers and Directors $69,820 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $71,537
Special Effects Artists and Animators $109,320 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $112,008
Audio and Video Technicians $49,940 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $51,168
Sound Engineering Technicians $49,150 NC statewide $50,359
Writers and Authors $84,130 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $86,199
Graphic Designers $63,580 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $65,143

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.

Durham at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 288,465 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $79,234 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 55.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.6 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Durham-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Durham, NC?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering film programs near Durham. The closest is Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh, NC (20.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Liberty University (95.9 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Durham?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Durham are: Special Effects Artists and Animators ($109,320), Writers and Authors ($84,130), Producers and Directors ($69,820). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Chapel Hill instead of Durham?

Chapel Hill, NC is 8.4 miles from Durham 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 Durham an affordable place to study film?

Durham’s median household income of $79,234 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Durham while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Durham

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

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 North Carolina: Online Programs (2026)