Well I know this forum is a bit outdated since 2005, but I figure if anyone looking for advice comes back here I'd throw in my two cents as well. I went to Columbia College Chicago, I know it's not one of the major film schools often mentioned, but if like the midwest Columbia is the place to go. The nice thing about the program is that there are a lot of peers for you to interact with, and lots and lots of student shoots to get work on. You can really choose if you prefer cameras to lights, or directing to cinematography. In addition, any gear you take out for a student project is completely free of any charge, and Columbia's lighting stage has just about every head you can imagine to rent, you could fill several 3-ton trucks with Columbia's gear package. The other thing that's nice is the assortment of cameras and lenses available to you at Columbia. Like most film schools you'll start with something small and easy, but as you progress Columbia has their own Panavision GII and lenses, as well as a BL3, Arri IIC, both with outstanding lenses, and an array of Super16 SRII's, and Aaton's. I felt that I walked out of that school with more technical knowledge than I even knew was there to be learned. Columbia is a school for tech-heads who want to know what everything does and why, although if what you want is to get a more art driven education, the directing and screenwriting programs just don't match up to the cinematography program.
-brian