2026 Best Value Documentary Production Schools in the Far Western Region
[Documentary Production](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/film-video-and-photographic-arts/documentary-production/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for documentary production students.
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2026 Best Value Documentary Production Schools in the Far Western Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in documentary production, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Documentary Production Schools
University Of California Santa Cruz earned the #1 spot for value among documentary production schools in the Far Western Region. Located in the city of Santa Cruz, University Of California Santa Cruz is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,035, with out-of-state students paying around $46,923. Typical student debt for documentary production graduates is $16,439. Early-career documentary production graduates make about $23,614. That is a strong return on a $16,439 median debt. The acceptance rate is 66%.
Mount St Marys College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value documentary production schools. Set in the city of Los Angeles, Mount St Marys College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $49,564 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the documentary production program here. Documentary Production graduates of Mount St Marys College earn a median of $25,835 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 73%.
Students looking for strong value in documentary production will find it at New York Film Academy, which ranked #3. New York Film Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Burbank. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $37,122. Typical student debt for documentary production graduates is $20,250. Documentary Production graduates of New York Film Academy earn a median of $16,793 early in their careers. Set against $20,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
