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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Film/Cinema/Media Studies

139 Ranked Colleges
4,276 Degrees Awarded
$15,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor's

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 a Bachelor’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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” ranking analyzed 139 colleges that offered a degree in film / cinema / media studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent film / cinema / media studies programs, but they also cost less that 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

The film studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree film studies students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Film/Cinema/Media Studies

Out of the 139 schools in the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 42 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film studies students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $13,322 for bachelor’s degree film studies students.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at BYU

#2

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
Top 25% in overall quality

Out of the 139 schools in the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Winona State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Winona State is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 8 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Winona State is $17,656 for bachelor’s degree film studies students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Winona State

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,249 for bachelor’s degree film studies students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at UW - Whitewater

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Minnesota State University - Mankato. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 7 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,221 for bachelor’s degree film studies students per year to attend Minnesota State Mankato.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State Mankato Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

Out of the 139 schools in the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Minnesota State University - Moorhead landed the #5 spot on the list. MSU Moorhead is located in Moorhead, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s film studies degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $16,893 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students per year to attend Minnesota State University - Moorhead.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at MSU Moorhead

#6

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $17,646 for bachelor’s degree film studies students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Grand Valley State University

California State University - Long Beach came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 184 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $9,622 for bachelor’s degree film studies students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 California State University - Long Beach

#8

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

With a ranking of #8, Saint Cloud State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Saint Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for St. Cloud State University is $14,267 for bachelor’s degree film studies students.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Saint Cloud State University

#9

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #9. 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 $2,490 for bachelor’s degree film studies students.

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%.

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

#10

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Eastern Michigan is a fairly large school located in Ypsilanti, Michigan that handed out 32 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan University is $15,924 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students.

Full Eastern Michigan Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#11

Harding University

Searcy, Arkansas

Harding University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Searcy, Arkansas, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Harding is $19,375 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Harding Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#12

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 ranking, coming in at #12. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 26 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,986 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students.

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%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#12

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 218 bachelors’s film studies degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $15,113 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students per year to attend San Francisco State University.

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

#14

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,876 for bachelor’s degree film studies students.

Full UWM Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#15

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, this large public school awarded 137 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film studies students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Utah is $14,773 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full U of U Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#16

National University

La Jolla, California

With a ranking of #16, National University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in La Jolla, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s film studies students in 2019-2020.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #17. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 33 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is $18,394 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students.

Full Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, this large public school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s film studies students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,208 for bachelor’s degree film studies students per year to attend UNL.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Nebraska - Lincoln Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school awarded 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film studies students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $16,001 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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 89%.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at University of Missouri - Columbia

#20

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Georgia landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $13,649 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at UGA

#21

Union University

Jackson, Tennessee

With a ranking of #21, Union University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Jackson, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s film studies degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Union University is $28,249 for bachelor’s degree film studies students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The 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.

Full Union Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#22

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s film studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $18,918 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full KU Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#23

Huntington University

Huntington, Indiana

Huntington University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Huntington, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film studies students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $22,869 for bachelor’s degree film studies students per year to attend Huntington University.

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

#24

Queens College

Queens, New York

Queens College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Queens College is $3,067 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students.

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 full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Queens College

With a ranking of #25, Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Dayton, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film studies students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Wright State University - Main Campus is $16,823 for Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Wright State University - Main Campus

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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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