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2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

19 Ranked Colleges
1,286 Degrees Awarded
$22,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking.

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.

Across California, there were 1,709 film / cinema / media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,286 film / cinema / media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most 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 a Bachelor’s in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.

Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Film/Cinema/Media Studies in California

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s film studies degrees to 184 students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #9 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for California 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#2

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Francisco State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 218 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also made our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at SFSU

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 28 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

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

#4

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #4 spot on the list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s film studies degrees to 159 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 125 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree film studies students.

The low 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#5 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 82 bachelors’s film studies degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley also took the #5 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its 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%.

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

#10 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 116 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also took the #10 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree film studies students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCR Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#11 in overall quality

University of California - Davis landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 60 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also made our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $14,669 for california bachelor’s degree film studies students per year to attend University of California - Davis.

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 low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

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

#18 in overall quality

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s film studies degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

CSUDH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $4,215 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 - Dominguez Hills

#10

National University

La Jolla, California
#17 in overall quality

National University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. National University is located in La Jolla, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s film studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at National University, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.

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%.

Full National University Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#11

Columbia College Hollywood

Tarzana, California
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Columbia College Hollywood did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Columbia College Hollywood is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tarzana, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 114 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia College Hollywood also made our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Hollywood is $31,339 for california bachelor’s degree film studies students.

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

#12

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, California
#12 in overall quality

Westmont College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Westmont College is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s film studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film studies students list, Westmont has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Westmont is $31,145 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students.

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 Westmont College

#13

New York Film Academy

Burbank, California
#19 in overall quality

New York Film Academy ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This small school is located in Burbank, California, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film studies students list, New York Film Academy has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for New York Film Academy is $45,280 for california bachelor’s degree film studies students.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at New York Film Academy

#14

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of the Pacific did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Pacific is a medium-sized school located in Stockton, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Pacific is $28,929 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students.

The 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Pacific Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#15

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Stanford University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 7 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film studies students list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $11,496 for california bachelor’s degree film studies students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#16

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California
#6 in overall quality

Occidental College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Oxy is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 24 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Oxy did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Occidental College is $29,638 for california bachelor’s degree film studies students.

The impressive 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 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 Occidental College Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#17

Chapman University

Orange, California
#3 in overall quality

Chapman University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Chapman University is located in Orange, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s film studies degrees to qualified students.

Chapman also took the #3 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $41,350 for california bachelor’s degree film studies students per year to attend Chapman.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#18

Pepperdine University

Malibu, California
#14 in overall quality

Pepperdine University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #18. Pepperdine University is located in Malibu, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s film studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film studies students list, Pepperdine has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $36,996 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students per year to attend Pepperdine.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Pepperdine Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#19

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

University of Southern California landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 110 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $29,528 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students per year to attend USC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

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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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