2026 Best Film Studies Schools in Tennessee

Film Studies degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 8 schools to find the best for film studies students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Film Studies Schools in Tennessee

Best Schools for Film Studies in Tennessee

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall film studies education in Tennessee.

Top Schools in Film Studies

1

Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

12 Film Studies Degrees Awarded

$77,997 Median Starting Salary

Our analysis ranked Vanderbilt University the best school in the country for a degree in film studies. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Nashville. About 94% of students finish within six years. About 12 film studies degrees were awarded at Vanderbilt University in the most recent year. Graduates of the film studies program make about $77,997 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $13,975 to complete this degree. See the full film studies program report for Vanderbilt University

2

The University Of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

13 Film Studies Degrees Awarded

$49,826 Median Starting Salary

Students looking for a strong film studies program will find one at The University Of Tennessee, which ranked #2. This very large public university is located in the city of Knoxville. Roughly 74% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 13 film studies students who graduated with this degree at The University Of Tennessee in the most recent data year. Graduates of the film studies program make about $49,826 in their early career. The University Of Tennessee graduates carry a median of $22,859 in student loans. More information about a degree in film studies from The University Of Tennessee

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 8 schools evaluated.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.