James Franco completed an English bachelor’s degree at UCLA in 2008, an MFA in creative writing at Columbia University in 2010, and a master’s degree in filmmaking at NYU in 2011. How much he personally paid for those studies is not publicly established in the sources reviewed: they do not provide his tuition bills, financial aid, residency status, or living expenses.
Where James Franco completed his degrees
Franco’s documented degrees span three universities. UCLA’s profile records his undergraduate graduation in June 2008, while Biography.com reports his Columbia and NYU degrees.
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| Institution | Completed degree | Reported year |
|---|---|---|
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | Bachelor’s degree in English | June 2008 |
| Columbia University | Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing | 2010 |
| New York University (NYU) | Master’s degree in filmmaking | 2011 |
Sources: UCLA Newsroom’s “Smart Set” and Biography.com’s James Franco biography.
His path through college
UCLA: leaving and returning
After graduating from Palo Alto High School, Franco briefly attended UCLA in 1996, studying English and drama. He left during his freshman year to pursue acting. He returned to UCLA in 2006, later graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English. Biography.com reports that he had a 3.5 GPA.
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Graduate study and other reported coursework
UCLA’s profile says that from fall 2008 Franco enrolled in Columbia’s MFA writing program, Brooklyn College for creative writing, and NYU Tisch for directing. Biography.com reports that he earned Columbia’s MFA in 2010 and completed NYU’s filmmaking master’s in 2011.
Biography.com also reports study or coursework at Warren Wilson College and Brooklyn College, pursuit of a PhD in English at Yale, and acceptance to programs at the Rhode Island School of Design and the University of Houston. The accounts reviewed do not establish completed degrees at those institutions; an acceptance or a period of study is not the same as a completed credential.
Rank #2
How much did James Franco pay for school?
No reliable personal total can be calculated from the available public information. The reviewed accounts do not state what Franco was billed or paid, how many terms he attended, whether he received scholarships or other aid, his UCLA residency classification, or his living expenses. His degree dates alone cannot establish the amount.
Current UCLA budgets can provide a point of reference, but they are not historical charges to Franco and should not be multiplied by his years of study to estimate his bill. UCLA Undergraduate Admission’s July 2026 figures for the 2026–27 academic year estimate total residence-hall budgets as follows:
Rank #3
| UCLA student classification | Estimated budget per academic year | What the figure represents |
|---|---|---|
| California resident | $45,500 | Estimated residence-hall budget for 2026–27 |
| Nonresident | $84,770 | Estimated residence-hall budget for 2026–27 |
These are present-day budget estimates, not tuition-only figures. UCLA says they include university fees, housing, food, books and supplies, transportation, personal expenses, and health insurance; actual tuition and fees may change, and residency affects tuition. They cannot tell us what Franco paid in the past. See UCLA Undergraduate Admission’s tuition and fees page.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
- POSTCARDS BY JAMES FRANCO: James Franco the artist-actor-writer-director wears many hats—and in this new body of work, he poses as the characters in his favorite books.
- PHOTOGRAPH-BASED PROJECT: This miniature monograph collects 30 postcards, in which Franco reimagines book covers by stepping inside the cover scene.
- INCLUDES AN ESSAY: The postcards are prefaced by an essay by Franco about the work, along with a short text from THE THING editors.
- GREAT GIFT OR STOCKING STUFFER: This postcard book is great to slip inside a stocking or wrap up as a last minute birthday gift.
- DOUBLES AS DECOR: These notecards work wonderfully as miniature art pieces to display on the desk or bulletin board.
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