The Hollywood Reporter Names Emerson Sixth Best Film School in the US for 2025

Emerson College was recently ranked #6 on The Hollywood Reporter’s annual list of best film schools in the U.S. in part on the strength of the newly created School of Film, Television, and Media Arts, which leverages its connection to the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, and the college’s commitment to training students on cutting-edge technology and preparing them to work in a fast-changing industry. 

The ranking is a testament to Emerson’s focus and investment in this sector, the success of the program’s graduates in the industry and its global leadership in communications and the arts. 

“With the new [film school] name comes an emphasis on new tech and virtual production, with AI having been integrated across the curriculum,” THR wrote in its explanation for the ranking, also noting students’ access to an LED wall, and the Unreal Engine, a 3-D creation tool used in game and virtual set design.

“At Emerson, we believe in the power of storytelling to shape culture and create change. This national recognition reflects the extraordinary talent of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. We’re proud to be one of the top film schools in the country, and through the strength of our bold new vision for the School of Film, Television, and Media Arts, we expect even greater success,” said Emerson’s President Jay Bernhardt. 

In July, the college announced that its Visual & Media Arts Department, the largest at Emerson College, would return in the fall as the School of Film, Television & Media Arts, a new configuration that will elevate the program and offer new pathways to the creative industry. It also aligns with the priorities of Extraordinary Emerson 2030, the college’s new strategic plan, and leverages the strength of Emerson’s long-time campus in Los Angeles on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.

The school is more than a new name, Emerson trustee Seth Grahame-Smith ’98, writer and producer of the novels and films Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, said at the time of the announcement.

“It’s a statement of the renewed focus and energy being poured into making those programs better than they’ve ever been, and making sure Emerson is built for the future,” he said.

Trustee Doug Herzog ’81, LHD ’08, a former executive and a leader in Hollywood for decades, believes Emerson’s greatest strength is its ability to attract and inspire up and coming storytellers, performers, and industry leaders.

“Emerson has always been one of the nation’s premier film and television programs, and this new school takes that legacy to the next level,” Herzog said.

“It is exciting to be at this moment in Emerson’s history where we get the chance to shine a bright light on our exceptional storytellers, past, present, and future,” said Provost Alexandra Socarides. “The creation of this new School is a huge achievement for Emerson.”

The school’s Interim Dean Shaun Clarke, MFA ’12, said this year’s new ranking demonstrates Emerson’s standing as a “leading institution among our peers” particularly as it has been ranked four of the last five years at #6 nationally.

“Our program’s distinctive curriculum goes beyond the traditional filmmaking education model, allowing our ambitious and creative students to explore a wide range of production modalities and scholarly disciplines,” Clarke said. 

The Hollywood Reporter also highlighted Emerson’s minor in Business Studies for Communication and the Arts, the minor and the major are a collaboration between departments across the School of Communication; School of the Arts; and the future School of Film, Television, and Media Arts, as an unusual and valuable offering.

“While most film schools focus on creative coursework, fewer focus on the business of entertainment, but Emerson offers a minor in Business of Creative Enterprises, which is meant to prepare students to become executives and reps,” they wrote.

“Emerson is a unique and special place that not only prepares students for the industry both academically and vocationally, but also celebrates the individual and the creative voice, which fosters and instills a confidence that is so meaningful to graduates as they enter the business, said Emerson Trustee, executive, and producer Kevin McKeon ‘07.

The list was compiled based on a number of criteria, including new facilities, equipment, and endowments, as well as alumni successes, THR explained. As examples of notable alums, the publication cited Warner Bros. film chief Pamela Abdy ’95, LHD ’23; and the Daniels (Daniel Kwan ’10 and Daniel Scheinert ’09), directors of the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Other notable Emerson alumni in the film and television industry include Emerson College Trustees Randy Barbato, Traci Blackwell, Kevin Bright, Vin Di Bona, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Bill Gersh and Liz Daly Gersh, Adele Lim, Kevin McKeon, Paul Morra, and Max Mutchnick.

Additional alumni who are comedians and actors of note include Rosebud Baker, Bill Burr, Mario Cantone, Jennifer Coolidge, Michael Cyril Creighton, Justin Willman, Sunita Mani, Jay Leno, Denis Leary, Iliza Shlesinger, and Henry Winkler; as well as studio and casting executives, agents, writers and producers such as Richard Arlook, Holly Bario, Franco Bario, Cazzie David, Andrea Giannetti, the McManus Brothers, Lisa Gregorian, Gary Grossman, Lance Klein, Opus Moreschi, Judalina Neira, Rob Paine, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Stefani Robinson, Aaron Ryder, Tara Sandler, Michael Solomon, Dawn Steinberg, Alex Tse, John Wentworth, the late Norman Lear, and countless other accomplished Emersonians.