Best Film Schools Near Atoka, TN (2026)

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

Atoka, Tennessee has 2 accredited schools offering film programs. Atoka has a population of about 10,237. Median household income is $86,922 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Tennessee, the top-earning film-related role is Special Effects Artists and Animators at a median $83,080 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Atoka

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

Union University

Jackson, TN 55.0 miles from Atoka
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,990
Avg net price $27,171/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN 174.0 miles from Atoka
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,541
Avg net price $24,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 107

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN 174.5 miles from Atoka
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
91.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $91,565
Avg net price $15,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 157

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Belmont University

Nashville, TN 174.8 miles from Atoka
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
61.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,930
Avg net price $33,147/yr
Tuition
In‑state$42,540
Out‑of‑state$42,540
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 103

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

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#5

SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville

Nashville, TN 175.3 miles from Atoka
  • 4 year
32.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,544
Avg net price $24,700/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 50%
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Nossi College of Art and Design

Nashville, TN 179.9 miles from Atoka
  • 4 year
34.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,113
Avg net price $24,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN 194.6 miles from Atoka
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,541
Avg net price $13,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 106

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN 268.4 miles from Atoka
  • 4 year
45.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,723
Avg net price $24,345/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Film Wages Near Atoka

Atoka is part of the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (BLS area code 32820). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Film and Video Editors $54,620 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $59,241
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $48,680 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $52,798
Producers and Directors $60,440 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $65,553
Special Effects Artists and Animators $83,080 TN statewide $90,108
Audio and Video Technicians $47,170 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $51,161
Sound Engineering Technicians $48,050 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $52,115
Writers and Authors $58,480 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $63,427
Graphic Designers $59,000 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $63,991

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.

Atoka at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 10,237 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $86,922 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Atoka-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Atoka, TN?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering film programs near Atoka. The closest is Union University in Jackson, TN (55.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Mississippi (74.4 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Atoka?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Atoka are: Special Effects Artists and Animators ($83,080), Producers and Directors ($60,440), Graphic Designers ($59,000). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Bartlett instead of Atoka?

Bartlett, TN is 13.2 miles from Atoka 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 Atoka an affordable place to study film?

Atoka’s median household income of $86,922 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Atoka while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee 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 Atoka

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

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 Tennessee: Online Programs (2026)