Best Film Schools Near Knoxville, TN (2026)

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

Knoxville, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering film programs, with tuition ranging from $34,700 to $49,024 per year for indexed programs. Knoxville has a population of about 193,721. Median household income is $50,994 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 33.7% 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 Knoxville

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

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN 1.8 miles from Knoxville
  • 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

#2

Pellissippi State Community College

Knoxville, TN 12.2 miles from Knoxville
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,440
Avg net price $4,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 39

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 Knoxville

Knoxville is part of the Knoxville, TN metro area (BLS area code 28940). 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 $51,830 Knoxville, TN $55,972
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $53,180 Knoxville, TN $57,430
Producers and Directors $58,660 Knoxville, TN $63,348
Special Effects Artists and Animators $83,080 TN statewide $89,719
Audio and Video Technicians $48,420 Knoxville, TN $52,289
Sound Engineering Technicians $46,200 Knoxville, TN $49,892
Writers and Authors $63,080 Knoxville, TN $68,121
Graphic Designers $56,720 Knoxville, TN $61,253

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.

Knoxville at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 193,721 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $50,994 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 33.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.6 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Knoxville-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Knoxville, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near Knoxville. The closest is The University of Tennessee-Knoxville in Knoxville, TN (1.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southern Adventist University (88.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Knoxville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Knoxville are: Special Effects Artists and Animators ($83,080), Writers and Authors ($63,080), Producers and Directors ($58,660). 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 Farragut instead of Knoxville?

Farragut, TN is 14.6 miles from Knoxville 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 Knoxville an affordable place to study film?

Knoxville’s median household income of $50,994 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Knoxville 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 Knoxville

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

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)