by our College Data Analytics TeamA degree in Documentary Production covers Documentary Production. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Produce Nonfiction Film And Video. Includes Instruction In Film And Video Writing, Directing, And Production; Film Studies; History Of The Documentary; Research Techniques; Videography; Editing; And Business Aspects Of Film Production. Continue reading for the important information every documentary production student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering documentary production programs.
Across the country, documentary production is a popular field of study, with 88 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Documentary Production Schools ranking analyzes these 14 schools to determine the best overall colleges for documentary production students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of documentary production programs later in this article.
Coursework for Documentary Production emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations documentary production graduates commonly enter.
The skill set developed in a documentary production program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a documentary production major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several documentary production degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 10 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 29 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 49 |
People currently working in careers related to documentary production tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 38.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 26.1% |
| Doctoral degree | 15.3% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 6.8% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 5.2% |
| Post-doctoral training | 3.2% |
| Some college courses | 2.1% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 1.3% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.8% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 0.7% |
| First professional degree | 0.4% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in documentary production careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying documentary production can lead to numerous career paths. Here are some of the most common occupations related to documentary production.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to documentary production.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,074,154 | 9.1% |
| Communications Teachers, Postsecondary | 919,494 | -1.5% |
| Producers and Directors | 355,369 | -3.9% |
| Film and Video Editors | 354,104 | 10.0% |
| Talent Directors | 163,716 | -3.3% |
| Media Technical Directors/Managers | 136,436 | -2.6% |
| Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film | 107,517 | 10.9% |
| Media Programming Directors | 98,123 | 11.2% |
The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of documentary production graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $25,545 |
| 4 years | $35,590 |
| 5 years | $41,647 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for documentary production graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers documentary production grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Communications Teachers, Postsecondary | $96,169 |
| Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film | $92,043 |
| Media Programming Directors | $90,799 |
| Producers and Directors | $90,515 |
| Film and Video Editors | $89,576 |
| Talent Directors | $73,937 |
| Media Technical Directors/Managers | $65,049 |
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | $46,983 |
With 14 different documentary production programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased documentary production school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in documentary production, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 9,544 |
| Film/Cinema/Media Studies | 5,777 |
| Photography | 2,066 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other | 1,452 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
