Aug 02, 2013 10:04 AM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Curious about the film schools attended by America's top directors? Here is the list of best film schools that could help all Hollywood aspirants pursue their dream of directing the next big blockbuster or maybe writing the next great art film.

The survey conducted by the editors of The Hollywood Reporter (THR) magazine arrived at the ratings after consulting various industry insiders. THR's third annual film school looked into programs nationwide -- serving undergrads, graduate students and, in some cases, both.

University of California's School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) has been rated the best film school in the country. The school boasts of a new 60,250-square-foot Interactive Media Building that features 4K digital projection, Oblong g-speak gesture-control computing, multitouch screens, a game innovation lab and a mixed reality lab.

An IMAX theater is expected to be introduced the school in August.

Apart from state-of-the-art-technology, donations from various prominent film personalities also helped the school achieve the top tier status. The school's notable alum includes Ryan Coogler, Chris Terrio, Meera Menon, Ron Howard, Jon Landau and George Lucas.

At the 2013 Oscars, five alumni of the American Film Institute were nominated in various categories, surpassing the three nomination counts in 2012. The elite school, ranked second in the list, is home to Darren Aronofsky, David Lynch and Terrence Malick among others.

"AFI is an elite, intense two-year graduate program, and 80 percent of alumni are working in the industry," said Bob Gazzale, president and CEO.

"AFI is unique," said Henry Hughes directing fellow.

The prestigious New York University's Tisch School of the Arts takes the third place in the list, which is known for its MBA/MFA program and gaming MFA. The institute has produced some Hollywood bigwigs like 2013 Oscar winner Ang Lee,Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese, Joel Coen and Charlie Kaufman.

Besides churning out Oscar winners, seven alumni and one faculty member from the Manhattan school were invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2013.

Here is the list of next best film schools in U.S.:

4) University of California, Los Angeles's School of Theater, Film and Television

5) California Institute of the Arts

6) Columbia University

7) Chapman University's Dodge College of Film & Media Arts

8) Emerson College

9) Loyola Marymount University's School of Film and Television

10) University of Texas at Austin, Radio-Television-Film department

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