Best Film Schools Near Winchester, VA (2026)

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

Winchester, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering film programs. Winchester has a population of about 27,981. Median household income is $64,648 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Virginia, the top-earning film-related role is Writers and Authors at a median $85,000 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Winchester

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

Shenandoah University

Winchester, VA 1.0 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,433
Avg net price $30,298/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Film Wages Near Winchester

Winchester is part of the Winchester, VA-WV metro area (BLS area code 49020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Film and Video Editors $78,740 VA statewide $81,596
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $58,440 VA statewide $60,560
Producers and Directors $65,900 VA statewide $68,290
Special Effects Artists and Animators $81,510 VA statewide $84,466
Audio and Video Technicians $53,960 VA statewide $55,917
Sound Engineering Technicians $49,920 VA statewide $51,731
Writers and Authors $85,000 VA statewide $88,083
Graphic Designers $62,450 Winchester, VA-WV $64,715

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.

Winchester at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 27,981 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $64,648 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 31.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Winchester-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Winchester, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near Winchester. The closest is Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA (1.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is American University (60.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Winchester?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Winchester are: Writers and Authors ($85,000), Special Effects Artists and Animators ($81,510), Film and Video Editors ($78,740). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Charles Town instead of Winchester?

Charles Town, WV is 18.1 miles from Winchester 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 Winchester an affordable place to study film?

Winchester’s median household income of $64,648 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Winchester while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Winchester

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

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 Virginia: Online Programs (2026)