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2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

138 Ranked Colleges
4,276 Degrees Awarded
$6,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 5,210 people earned their degree in film / cinema / media studies, making the major the 145th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,276 film / cinema / media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 138 colleges that offered a degree in film / cinema / media studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great film / cinema / media studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the film / cinema / media studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

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

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

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 138 schools in the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s film studies degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $1,145 for bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Stanford University

#2

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 16 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $6,248 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at WUSTL

#3

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 138 schools in the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #3 spot on the list. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 25 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,833 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UPenn.

The impressive 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 Pennsylvania

#4

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#12 in overall quality

Out of the 138 schools in the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #4 spot on the list. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 15 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $6,017 for Bachelor’s Degree 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Vanderbilt University Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#5

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colgate University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Colgate is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Hamilton, New York. It awarded 15 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Colgate also took the #2 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colgate University is $8,958 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Colgate Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#6

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
Top 20% in overall quality

Yale University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 14 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Yale also did well on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Yale is $1,647 for bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low 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 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.

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

#14 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 74 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,887 for bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, 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 96%.

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

#8

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#4 in overall quality

Dartmouth College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Dartmouth College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, New Hampshire. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dartmouth, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dartmouth College is $4,830 for bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 96%.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Dartmouth College

#9

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

Boston College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s film studies students in 2019-2020.

Boston College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $8,951 for bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 93%.

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

#10

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s film studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, UChicago has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,800 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UChicago Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#11

Hamilton College

Clinton, New York
#15 in overall quality

Hamilton College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Clinton, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film studies students in 2019-2020.

Hamilton also made our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Hamilton College is $11,385 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Hamilton College Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#12

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Emory University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Emory University is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s film studies degrees to qualified students.

Emory did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Emory is $9,629 for bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Emory University Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#13

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
Top 25% in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $5,879 for bachelor’s degree 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#24 in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 30 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,467 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW Seattle.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at UW Seattle

#15

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Tufts University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Tufts is a fairly large school located in Medford, Massachusetts that handed out 37 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Tufts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,516 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tufts University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Tufts University Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#16

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Hunter is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $2,394 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Hunter College Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#17

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Wellesley College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wellesley College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wellesley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wellesley College is $4,519 for bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The 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. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Wellesley College Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#18

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania
#5 in overall quality

Lafayette College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Easton, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s film studies degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

Lafayette did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette is $11,360 for bachelor’s degree 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 87%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Lafayette

#19

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont
Top 25% in overall quality

Middlebury College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Middlebury, Vermont, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film studies students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Middlebury is $8,616 for Bachelor’s Degree 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 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Middlebury College Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#20

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#18 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s film studies degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $9,254 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCLA.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 96%.

Full UCLA Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#21

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#19 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 82 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #19 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $9,130 for bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Berkeley Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

California State University - Long Beach came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 184 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,595 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSULB.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at California State University - Long Beach

Top 25% in overall quality

University of California - Irvine ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 125 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s film studies students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $10,373 for bachelor’s degree 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 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at UC Irvine

#24

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school handed out 116 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film studies students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,151 for bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCR.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at University of California - Riverside

#25

Queens College

Queens, New York

Queens College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. QC is a fairly large public school situated in Queens, New York. It awarded 9 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for QC is $3,056 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at QC

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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