Film schools vary from university departments to degree specific schools and online programs. Schools can either be private or public. Some of the prominent schools in the nation are American Film Institute (AFI), California Institute of the Arts, Columbia University School of the Arts, The North Carolina School of the Arts, and the schools at New York University (NYU), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Southern California (USC), and University of Texas at Austin.

Film Schools are educational institutions that impart teaching that is necessary for entering the film industry. The schooling provided is sometimes referred to as ‘the artist’s MBA,’ as they encourage the creativity of the students and skillfully it. With its beginnings in the early 1970s, film schools have now grown to a great extent with an increasing number of schools as well as courses.

The schools provide bachelor, doctoral degree and certificate programs, along with hands-on practical knowledge. The areas of specialization includes producing, directing, sound and production design, cinematography, screenwriting, editing, acting for film and filmmaking.

Traditionally, film schools are classified into three types — independent, industry and experimental. The independent schools provide better choices for those students who want to raise funds independent of the Hollywood system. Here, students are taught to focus on the fundamentals of filmmaking. In the industry type, training helps the students cope with the standards and structure of the Hollywood film industry.

The final type concentrates on teaching the art of filmmaking, and goes on to encourage students to explore their individual creativity and experimental potential in order to produce unique representations.