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Kalamazoo, MI · Film & media production

Film & media production at Western Michigan

Western Michigan graduates about 30 film majors a year. That puts it 126th of 285 schools we score for film, a solid program at 58 out of 100. Graduates in the major earn a median $45,000 four years out, about the national figure for the same major. Research spending in the field runs about $2 million a year, a rough guide to how many labs and projects undergraduates can join.

58/100Solid#126 of 285 for film →
Graduates a year30under 1% of the class
Median pay 4 years out$45,0001.03× the same major nationally
Research in the field$2Ma year, NSF
Admit rate85%whole school
SAT middle 50%960–1200whole school

Around Western Michigan

WMU Student Center, view of gathering stairs and "heart" from lower level lookin
WMU Student Center interior gathering stairsPhoto: MSwierenga · CC0 · source
Opened in the summer of 2023, Western Michigan University's student center will
WMU Student CenterPhoto: MSwierenga · CC0 · source
The Oaklands
The OaklandsPhoto: Jim Roberts · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Kanley Memorial Chapel on Western Michigan University's main campus in Kalamazoo
Kanley Memorial ChapelPhoto: MSwierenga · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Where film happens

Buildings on campus that fit the field: Gilmore Theatre Complex.

Named buildings on the campus map: Academic 27 · Dorm 14 · Student housing 11 · Athletics 4 · Dining 2 · Chapel 2.

Open the full-screen campus map →

Nearby in the film ranking

  1. High Point University 58
  2. Connecticut College 58
  3. Wagner College 58
  4. Ithaca College 58
  5. California Lutheran University 57
  6. University of Houston 57
  7. Clark University 57
  8. University of Rhode Island 57

Other strong majors at Western Michigan

How the score works

The score is out of 100 and compares Western Michigan with every school we score in film. It weighs what graduates earn four years out against the same major nationally (25%), research spending in the field (20%, NSF), how many undergraduate courses the department lists (20%), the student body's test scores (20%) and the size of the program (15%, capped so size alone can't win). 80+ is a standout program, 65+ strong, 45+ solid. Sources: US Department of Education (College Scorecard, IPEDS), NSF HERD, each school's current course catalog, OpenStreetMap and Wikimedia Commons.

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