In the years The Hollywood Reporter has been ranking film schools — this is the eighth list, determined by extensive interviewing and research — the magazine has never received a straight answer to one very straightforward question: What is the purpose of film school?

Pretty much every institution on this list sees it differently. For some, like No. 6 Wesleyan (up from No. 9 last year), where cinema scholar Jeanine Basinger is getting her own building on the campus next year, it's all about history, subtext and auteur theory. For others, the focus is hands-on experience, providing students with access to ...