Best Film Schools Near Bristol, TN (2026)

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

Bristol, Tennessee has 4 accredited schools offering film programs, with tuition ranging from $34,700 to $49,024 per year for indexed programs. Bristol has a population of about 27,490. Median household income is $55,007 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.8% 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 Bristol

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

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, TN 19.6 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,859
Avg net price $15,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 97

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Carson-Newman University

Jefferson City, TN 77.2 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
48.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 90%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,382
Avg net price $20,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,700
Out‑of‑state$34,700
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 65

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

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#3

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN 104.1 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,249
Avg net price $18,976/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 143

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Lee University

Cleveland, TN 177.1 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,222
Avg net price $18,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 91

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN 190.1 miles from Bristol
  • 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

#6

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN 236.3 miles from Bristol
  • 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

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#7

Nossi College of Art and Design

Nashville, TN 252.5 miles from Bristol
  • 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

#8

SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville

Nashville, TN 256.2 miles from Bristol
  • 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

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

Film Wages Near Bristol

Bristol is part of the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area (BLS area code 28700). 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 $57,880 TN statewide $66,991
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $57,030 TN statewide $66,007
Producers and Directors $43,480 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $50,324
Special Effects Artists and Animators $83,080 TN statewide $96,157
Audio and Video Technicians $49,970 TN statewide $57,836
Sound Engineering Technicians $60,500 TN statewide $70,023
Writers and Authors $57,600 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $66,667
Graphic Designers $49,570 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $57,373

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.

Bristol at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 27,490 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $55,007 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 29.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 86.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Bristol-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Bristol, TN?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering film programs near Bristol. The closest is East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN (19.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Blue Ridge Community College (87.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Bristol?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Bristol are: Special Effects Artists and Animators ($83,080), Sound Engineering Technicians ($60,500), Film and Video Editors ($57,880). 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 Johnson City instead of Bristol?

Johnson City, TN is 17.6 miles from Bristol 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 Bristol an affordable place to study film?

Bristol’s median household income of $55,007 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bristol 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 Bristol

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

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)