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2024 Best Value Film Studies Schools in California

15 Ranked Colleges
1,623 Degrees Awarded
$20,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Film Studies Schools in California

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Film Studies Schools in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

Across California, there were 1,623 film/cinema/media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Film Studies Schools in California” ranking analyzed 15 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.

More Ways to Rank Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Film Studies Schools in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Film Studies Schools in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california film studies students.

Top 15 Best Value Colleges for Film/Cinema/Media Studies in California

1

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Film Studies Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 127 ’s film studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also took the #2 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,023 for california film studies students per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

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

2

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Film Studies Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #2 spot on the list. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 178 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,054 for california film studies students per year to attend CSULB.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full CSULB Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

3
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Francisco State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Film Studies Schools in California. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 242 diplomas to qualified ’s film studies students in 2020-2021.

SFSU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $14,459 for California Film Studies students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Full San Francisco State University Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

4

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Film Studies Schools 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 ’s film studies degrees to 184 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $16,252 for california film studies students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Value Film Studies Schools in California 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 also made our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $12,209 for california film studies students per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full UC Irvine Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

6

University of California - Berkeley came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools in California ranking. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 79 ’s film studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california film studies students list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for california film studies students.

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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

7

University of California - Riverside came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools in California ranking. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 108 ’s film studies degrees to qualified students.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $11,822 for california film studies students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 88%.

Full UCR Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

8

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Film Studies Schools in California ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 93 degrees to qualified ’s film studies students in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also made our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $15,768 for California Film Studies students per year to attend UC Davis.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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%.

Full University of California - Davis Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

9
National University crest
National University
La Jolla, California

With a ranking of #9, National University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Film Studies Schools in California list. National University is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

National University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend National University is $20,722 for california film studies students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

10

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Film Studies Schools in California list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film studies degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

CSUDH also made our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $4,026 for California Film Studies students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at California State University - Dominguez Hills

11
Columbia College Hollywood crest
Columbia College Hollywood
Tarzana, California

With a ranking of #11, Columbia College Hollywood did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Film Studies Schools in California list. Columbia College Hollywood is located in Tarzana, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s film studies degrees to qualified students.

Columbia College Hollywood did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Hollywood is $32,909 for california film studies students.

Full Columbia College Hollywood Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

12
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Film Studies Schools in California list. Located in Orange, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 20 degrees to qualified ’s film studies students in 2020-2021.

Chapman also took the #5 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chapman University is $44,198 for California Film Studies students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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 full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Chapman

13
American Film Institute crest
American Film Institute Conservatory
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #13, American Film Institute Conservatory did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Film Studies Schools in California list. American Film Institute is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 82 ’s film studies degrees in 2020-2021.

American Film Institute also took the #8 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools in California” ranking.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at American Film Institute

14
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

With a ranking of #14, Pepperdine University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Film Studies Schools in California list. Pepperdine University is located in Malibu, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s film studies degrees to qualified students.

Pepperdine also made our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Pepperdine University is $38,846 for california film studies students.

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%. 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 Pepperdine University

15
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Film Studies Schools in California list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 94 diplomas to qualified ’s film studies students in 2020-2021.

USC also made our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $32,569 for California Film Studies students.

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. 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 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 USC

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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