The Hollywood Reporter ranks Emerson College as one of the country’s top five film schools

A local institution continues to rise the ranks of the Hollywood Reporter’s annual list of the country’s 25 best film schools.

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The publication released its 2026 rankings on Friday, with Emerson College earning the No. 5 spot this year. Emerson joins the top five after previously ranking sixth in 2025 and 12th on THR’s 2024 list.

“Emerson is committed to the power of human imagination and creative expression, driven by powerful storytelling and technological innovation,” Jay Bernhardt, president of Emerson College, said in a press release statement. “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.”

Highlighting famous alum like Pam Abdy, co-chair and CEO of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, and the Oscar-winning Daniels duo (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”), Emerson’s blurb also examined the program’s embrace of artificial intelligence with courses that integrate generative creative programs like Runway and Midjourney. In addition, the piece highlighted a new scholarship from screenwriter and alum Seth Grahame-Smith, as well as Emerson’s satellite campus in Los Angeles.

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Emerson wasn’t the only area institution to make the list, with Boston University coming in at No. 16. BU earned the same ranking last year, and took the No. 18 spot in 2024.

The publication sang the praises of alums making waves like director Jane Schoenbrun (“Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma”), plus director-writer Josh Safdie (“Marty Supreme”) and his brother, filmmaker and actor Benny Safdie (“The Odyssey“). The piece also mentioned BU’s new studio production facility and its recent focus on hiring a professor for ”vertical filmmaking.”

Connecticut’s Wesleyan University ranked No. 18 this year, earning the same spot as it did in 2025. Meanwhile, the University of Southern California was named the country’s No. 1 film school again by THR, taking the title for the third year in a row.

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See the full list here.