Best Film Schools Near Scranton, PA (2026)

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

Scranton, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering film programs, with tuition ranging from $10,567 to $30,447 per year for indexed programs. Scranton has a population of about 76,074. Median household income is $49,531 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.8% 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 Scranton

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

Lafayette College

Easton, PA 54.2 miles from Scranton
  • 4 year
67.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $91,410
Avg net price $34,433/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Muhlenberg College

Allentown, PA 56.4 miles from Scranton
  • 4 year
63.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,107
Avg net price $28,905/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Lycoming College

Williamsport, PA 70.1 miles from Scranton
  • 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

#4

Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, PA 99.8 miles from Scranton
  • 4 year
63.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,124
Avg net price $36,425/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Temple University

Philadelphia, PA 101.9 miles from Scranton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,727
Avg net price $28,198/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 230

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA 103.2 miles from Scranton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,648
Avg net price $38,509/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 187

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA 103.4 miles from Scranton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $111,371
Avg net price $28,699/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 188

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, PA 110.6 miles from Scranton
  • 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

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

Film Wages Near Scranton

Scranton is part of the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area (BLS area code 42540). 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 $52,850 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA $56,464
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $51,760 PA statewide $55,299
Producers and Directors $61,660 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA $65,876
Special Effects Artists and Animators $71,760 PA statewide $76,667
Audio and Video Technicians $50,760 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA $54,231
Sound Engineering Technicians $49,490 PA statewide $52,874
Writers and Authors $77,410 PA statewide $82,703
Graphic Designers $54,950 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA $58,707

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.

Scranton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 76,074 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $49,531 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.6 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Scranton-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Scranton, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near Scranton. The closest is Binghamton University in Vestal, NY (49.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Berks Career & Technology Center (72.4 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Scranton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Scranton are: Writers and Authors ($77,410), Special Effects Artists and Animators ($71,760), Producers and Directors ($61,660). 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 Wilkes-Barre instead of Scranton?

Wilkes-Barre, PA is 15.4 miles from Scranton 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 Scranton an affordable place to study film?

Scranton’s median household income of $49,531 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Scranton 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 Scranton

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

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)