Best Film Schools Near Erie, PA (2026)

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

Erie, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering film programs, with tuition ranging from $8,831 to $31,536 per year for indexed programs. Erie has a population of about 94,156. Median household income is $43,397 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning film-related role is Writers and Authors at a median $77,410 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Erie

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

Allegheny College

Meadville, PA 32.6 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
57.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,069
Avg net price $22,940/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Pittsburgh, PA 115.7 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,125
Avg net price $30,434/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 239

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA 115.8 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
80.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 12%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $114,862
Avg net price $31,944/yr
Tuition
In‑state$66,246
Out‑of‑state$66,246
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 128

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Point Park University

Pittsburgh, PA 116.0 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
41.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,856
Avg net price $25,942/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA 146.3 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
62.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 61%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $32,875/yr
Tuition
In‑state$20,644
Out‑of‑state$41,790
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 214

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Lycoming College

Williamsport, PA 169.6 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
54.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,210
Avg net price $19,140/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, PA 210.0 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,064
Avg net price $26,502/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 87

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, PA 216.1 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,517
Avg net price $31,490/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Film Wages Near Erie

Erie is part of the Erie, PA metro area (BLS area code 21500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Film and Video Editors N/A PA statewide –
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $51,760 PA statewide $56,879
Producers and Directors $58,940 Erie, PA $64,769
Special Effects Artists and Animators $71,760 PA statewide $78,857
Audio and Video Technicians $48,450 Erie, PA $53,242
Sound Engineering Technicians $49,490 PA statewide $54,385
Writers and Authors $77,410 PA statewide $85,066
Graphic Designers $54,940 Erie, PA $60,374

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.

Erie at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 94,156 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $43,397 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Erie-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Erie, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near Erie. The closest is Allegheny College in Meadville, PA (32.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University at Buffalo (89.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Erie?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Erie are: Writers and Authors ($77,410), Special Effects Artists and Animators ($71,760), Producers and Directors ($58,940). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Meadville instead of Erie?

Meadville, PA is 32.6 miles from Erie 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 Erie an affordable place to study film?

Erie’s median household income of $43,397 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Erie while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Erie

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

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 Pennsylvania: Online Programs (2026)