Emerson Ranked a Top Five Film School in U.S.

Emerson College’s School of Film, Television, and Media Arts (SOF) came in at #5 on The Hollywood Reporter’s 2026 list of best film schools in the U.S., rising one spot from last year and seven spots since 2024. Emerson is the only school in New England to place in the top 15.

The ranking recognizes the college’s intentional, proactive approach to AI in both policy and the classroom, through its new AI guiding principles. It also acknowledges Emerson Los Angeles’s new leadership in Dean Ken Rogers ’91, and ELA’s deep ties to the Hollywood film industry. 

Emerson’s rise in the ranking is a testament to the talent and dedication of SOF’s faculty, staff, alumni, and above all, its students, said interim Dean Shaun Clarke, MFA ’12.

“Our broad-based curriculum gives students the freedom to experiment across multiple genres, disciplines, and modalities, giving them an edge in today’s film/tv/media landscape,” Clarke said. “With our Emerson Los Angeles campus serving as a bridge to the industry, we will continue to launch creative leaders into the world. We are thrilled to be recognized among the top five film programs in the country.”

In its explanation of the ranking, The Hollywood Reporter cited Emerson’s AI guiding principles, released last spring “with the aim of helping students navigate their education with their individual levels of interest in the new tech in mind.”

THR also touted the College’s plans to grow the ELA experience, with more industry-integrated curriculum and career preparation on tap under Rogers. And the publication cited a new endowed, need-based scholarship established by writer/producer and Emerson Trustee Seth Grahame-Smith ’98, which will go to four film students annually.

“Emerson is committed to the power of human imagination and creative expression, driven by powerful storytelling and technological innovation,” President Jay Bernhardt said. “This recognition speaks to the immense talent of the Emerson community, as well as to the college’s vision and promise to prepare students for success and leadership in a seismically shifting media landscape.”