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Penn State Film Program Debuts on TheWrap’s Top 50 Film Schools List

Published Updated 4 min read

This article was originally reported in November 2025.

In late October 2025, Penn State’s film production program made its first appearance on TheWrap’s annual list of the top 50 film schools in the United States, at No. 45 (Penn State News, October 31, 2025; TheWrap, 2025 ranking). This article explains how TheWrap ranks film schools, what Penn State’s program offers, where it stands in the 2026 edition, and what international applicants should know.

How TheWrap ranks film schools

TheWrap’s ranking is based on a survey of schools. According to Penn State’s summary, the 2025 ranking looked at:

  • acceptance, graduation and retention rates;
  • student-faculty ratio and faculty quality;
  • student access to equipment and the number of films students make;
  • real-world experience, including internships, mentoring and networking;
  • career support, alumni achievements and awards, and career development sessions such as guest speakers and workshops.

The research firm Screen Engine/ASI runs the survey for TheWrap. For the 2026 edition, it sent surveys to about 60 colleges and universities in July and scored them on a point system; unanswered questions generally lowered a school’s score, so results can change a lot from year to year (TheWrap, 2026 ranking).

Penn State’s film production program

  • Where it sits: the film production major is in the Department of Film Production and Media Studies of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at University Park. About 150 students a year are in the program.
  • Facilities: students use a soundstage in the Bellisario Media Center and up-to-date production equipment.
  • Curriculum: foundational courses in film history, writing and basic production; courses built on faculty expertise; capstone productions; and advanced workshops in directing, cinematography and screenwriting. Assignments include both documentary and narrative films.
  • Penn State Hollywood Program: students can spend a semester in Los Angeles, taking classes and completing internships in the film industry and related fields.
  • Networking and screenings: each spring, a daylong “Films & Friends” event in New York City connects students with alumni; the Student Film Organization holds a spring festival at the State Theatre in downtown State College; and the Centre Film Festival brings filmmakers to campus each fall (the 2025 edition ran November 10–16).
  • History: Penn State’s film tradition goes back to the early 1930s. Twin brothers Julius and Philip Epstein, who later co-wrote the screenplays for Casablanca and Arsenic and Old Lace, studied there.

“Our students have the opportunity to make multiple films while at Penn State,” said Maura Shea, associate teaching professor and associate head of the Department of Film Production and Media Studies. “We pride ourselves on building a close-knit community of creatives.” Denise Bortree, then interim dean of the Bellisario College, said “small class sizes and faculty members committed to supporting student success combine to make a powerful program,” describing the major as a place that combines “the power of our big-school resources and small-school feel.”

Latest update: the 2026 ranking

TheWrap published its 2026 list, its 11th annual ranking, on October 29, 2026. Penn State did not make the top 50 this time and was listed as an honorable mention. TheWrap’s note says the program is “less equipped than many other schools,” while mentioning recent investments such as new faculty hires and new cameras, and the opportunity for students to study in New York and Los Angeles (TheWrap, October 29, 2026). The top five in 2026 were New York University (Tisch), the University of Southern California (School of Cinematic Arts), the AFI Conservatory, Chapman University (Dodge) and UCLA.

The change is a reminder that TheWrap’s results depend heavily on survey responses and equipment comparisons. For a film student, the more useful questions are how many films you will make, what equipment you can check out, and how the school helps you get internships and industry contacts.

Notes for international students

  • English requirements: Penn State lists minimum scores for international first-year applicants of TOEFL iBT 80 (4.5 on the score scale introduced in January 2026), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo English Test 120 (Penn State: International Admission Requirements).
  • Internships: a Los Angeles internship during your degree would require Curricular Practical Training (CPT) on an F-1 visa. Since SEVP’s August 2026 guidance, many schools approve CPT only when practical training is a required part of the program, so check with Penn State’s international student office before planning the Hollywood semester around an internship (Study in the States: Working in the United States).
  • About Penn State: in our ranking database, The Pennsylvania State University is No. 55 in the 2027 U.S. News National Universities ranking. For admissions data, costs and international enrollment, see our Penn State school page.

References

#The Pennsylvania State University#University Rankings#Internships#Film Education

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