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2023 Best Value Colleges for Film/Cinema/Media Studies (Income $30-$48k)

117 Ranked Colleges
5,191 Degrees Awarded
$6,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 5,191 people earned their degree in film / cinema / media studies, making the major the 142nd most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 117 colleges that offered a degree in film / cinema / media studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality film / cinema / media studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the film / cinema / media studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Film/Cinema/Media Studies (Income $30-$48k)

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 5 ’s film studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $917 for film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Northwestern University Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

2
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 20 ’s film studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our film studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Yale has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Yale is $3,083 for film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Yale University Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

3

Out of the 117 schools in the Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 27 ’s film studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia also took the #6 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia University in the City of New York is $4,699 for film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Columbia

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s film studies degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

WUSTL also took the #3 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,446 for Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Washington University in St Louis

5

Out of the 117 schools in the Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 87 degrees to qualified ’s film studies students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,670 for film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at U-M

6
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

Dartmouth College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, and it awarded 14 ’s film studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Dartmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth College is $8,718 for Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Dartmouth Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

7
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s film studies degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $1,938 for film studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UPenn.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at UPenn

8

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW Seattle is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 37 ’s film studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our film studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $6,399 for Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

9
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $4,652 for Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Vanderbilt Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

10
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #10, Wellesley College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wellesley, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s film studies degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Wellesley College is $8,021 for Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Wellesley Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

11
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Emory is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Emory not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Emory University is $8,976 for film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Emory University Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

12

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 79 diplomas to qualified ’s film studies students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools” list. It costs about $9,999 for Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at University of California - Berkeley

13
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 31 ’s film studies degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,853 for film studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus

14

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film studies degrees to 127 students in 2020-2021.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,891 for film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

15
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. This fairly large school is located in Brooklyn, New York, and it awarded 26 ’s film studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $3,105 for film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Brooklyn College

16
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Tufts University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Medford, Massachusetts. It awarded 28 ’s film studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Tufts University is $7,987 for film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Tufts University

17
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Hunter College is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 46 ’s film studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter College is $2,135 for film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Hunter

18
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Vassar College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Poughkeepsie, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Vassar College is $13,193 for film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Vassar College

19

University of California - Irvine ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 167 ’s film studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $8,449 for Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at University of California - Irvine

20
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Johns Hopkins University is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s film studies degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $4,859 for film studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Johns Hopkins.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Johns Hopkins University

21
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

Lafayette College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lafayette College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Easton, Pennsylvania. It awarded 13 ’s film studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Lafayette not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools” list. It costs about $12,400 for Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lafayette College.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Lafayette Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

22

Brigham Young University - Provo ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s film studies degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

BYU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $10,333 for Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at BYU

23

University of California - Riverside landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 108 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $8,193 for Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at University of California - Riverside

24
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Boston College is a fairly large school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 13 ’s film studies degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,075 for film studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Boston College.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Boston College Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

25

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 184 degrees to qualified ’s film studies students in 2020-2021.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $11,606 for Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCSB Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

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