Biola University’s Snyder School of Cinema and Media Arts is one of the top 50 film schools in the nation according to entertainment news site, The Wrap. For the fourth year in a row, Biola has been recognized as an exceptional film school by the publication and moved up on the ranking list by four points this year. 

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“I’m thrilled to see The Wrap recognize Biola University's Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts as one of the top film schools in the country again,” said Tom Halleen, founding dean of Biola’s Snyder School of Cinema and Media Arts. “The ranking is an exciting validation and reflection of the commitment and quality of our faculty and staff, who challenge our students toward excellence in both craft and character. The Snyder School is growing and we are proud of our students and alumni, who are and will become a daily voice in the entertainment industry.”

In the issue, The Wrap highlights Snyder School’s high enrollment growth in recent years and the naming of the film school in honor of Esther L. Snyder, co-founder of In-N-Out Burger in light of a recent donation from Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson, president of In-N-Out Burger. In addition, the publication highlighted Biola’s world-class 55,000 square-foot studio facility scheduled to open in early 2026 and the school’s dean, Halleen, who is a former AMC networks executive. Notably, Biola is the only Christian school included in the ranking.

Positioned just 25 miles outside of Hollywood, the world's entertainment epi-center, Biola students have easy access to the industries of film, television, digital media and video game design, together with the studios, agencies, networks, production companies, and the corporations which operate them. This provides students with access to internships, industry leaders, guest speakers, networking, tours, and other industry experiences. The school’s in-house internship department assists students in landing internships at places like Disney, Sony, DreamWorks, Marvel Animation, Twentieth Century Fox, PBS, The Television Academy, AMPAS, Television City and many other organizations.

According to The Wrap, the rankings are created by collecting data points on different aspects of the school ranging from class size to networking opportunities as well as new programs, facilities, faculty, and alumni success in addition to reaching out to industry experts and other film schools for their input.

Biola prioritizes creating excellence in craft and character with faculty encouraging students to not only hone their craft, but grow in their personal character. Recent Biola student projects have been a semi-finalist in the Student Academy Awards, as well as a drama series nominee in the Television Academy’s College Television Awards. Most recently, Under Refurbishment a Biola University student film shot and completed in 2022, is the recipient of serious attention on the festival circuit. It was aired on KCET along with other nominated student films.

Biola’s proximity to Los Angeles lends itself to hosting industry leaders frequently. This semester, Biola is hosting events with entertainment leaders such as a masterclass taught by Dallas Jackson, including the John Orlando Senior Vice President of Universal Pictures 1440, Jorge Alfaro of 36 Chambers and former executive at Lionsgate Films as well as Tamara Gregory the Head of Television at Wilmore Films.

Biola was also named as one of 21 “top film schools” in North America by Variety earlier this year.

Read the Biola Magazine article, “30 to Watch (Literally)” to read about where recent Cinema and Media Arts program alumni are now.

Learn more and apply to Biola’s Snyder School of Cinema and Media Arts.

Written by Jenna Mindel, University Communications intern. For more information, please email media.relations@biola.edu.