Best Film Schools Near Willoughby, OH (2026)

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

Willoughby, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering film programs, with tuition ranging from $67,366 to $87,404 per year for indexed programs. Willoughby has a population of about 23,934. Median household income is $70,884 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cleveland, OH metro area, the top-earning film-related role is Producers and Directors at a median $71,160 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Willoughby

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

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH 17.0 miles from Willoughby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,131
Avg net price $14,764/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 123

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Baldwin Wallace University

Berea, OH 29.7 miles from Willoughby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,122
Avg net price $27,603/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Oberlin College

Oberlin, OH 48.5 miles from Willoughby
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
57.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 34%
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,343
Avg net price $38,645/yr
Tuition
In‑state$67,366
Out‑of‑state$67,366
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Kenyon College

Gambier, OH 101.9 miles from Willoughby
  • 4 year
63.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,830
Avg net price $38,512/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Toledo

Toledo, OH 113.9 miles from Willoughby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,632
Avg net price $17,249/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 155

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

Bowling Green, OH 117.0 miles from Willoughby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,896
Avg net price $24,022/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 139

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Denison University

Granville, OH 123.4 miles from Willoughby
  • 4 year
61.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,753
Avg net price $40,007/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Ohio Wesleyan University

Delaware, OH 127.3 miles from Willoughby
  • 4 year
53.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,624
Avg net price $20,897/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Film Wages Near Willoughby

Willoughby is part of the Cleveland, OH metro area (BLS area code 17410). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Film and Video Editors $59,220 Cleveland, OH $63,067
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $54,990 Cleveland, OH $58,562
Producers and Directors $71,160 Cleveland, OH $75,783
Special Effects Artists and Animators $67,000 OH statewide $71,353
Audio and Video Technicians $52,670 Cleveland, OH $56,092
Sound Engineering Technicians $47,860 Cleveland, OH $50,969
Writers and Authors $60,880 Cleveland, OH $64,835
Graphic Designers $59,780 Cleveland, OH $63,663

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.

Willoughby at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 23,934 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $70,884 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 35.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Willoughby-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Willoughby, OH?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near Willoughby. The closest is Cleveland State University in Cleveland, OH (17.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Allegheny College (65.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Willoughby?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Willoughby are: Producers and Directors ($71,160), Special Effects Artists and Animators ($67,000), Writers and Authors ($60,880). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Mentor instead of Willoughby?

Mentor, OH is 4.8 miles from Willoughby 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 Willoughby an affordable place to study film?

Willoughby’s median household income of $70,884 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Willoughby while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Willoughby

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

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 Ohio: Online Programs (2026)