2023 Best Value Colleges for Film & Video Production (Income $0-$30k)
137
Ranked Colleges
7,768
Degrees Awarded
$7,700
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 7,768 people earned their degree in film and video production, making the major the 117th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 137 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in film and video production. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent film and video production programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the film and video production program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” 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 Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Film & Video Production (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Washington University in St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.
WUSTL also took the #2 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $1,556 for Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. 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 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%.
Read more about Film & Video Production at WUSTL
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 48 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia also made our “Best Film & Video Production Schools” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $9,873 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 more about Film & Video Production at Columbia
Out of the 137 schools in the Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brooklyn College landed the #3 spot on the list. Brooklyn College is a fairly large school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 113 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $1,547 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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 Brooklyn College Film & Video Production Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. UNCSA is a small school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 88 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, UNCSA is in the top on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina School of the Arts is $5,766 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. 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 undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.
Read full report on Film & Video Production at University of North Carolina School of the Arts
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 ’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.
Florida State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $4,950 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Florida State University
University of Southern California landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cinematography degrees to 216 students in 2020-2021.
USC also made our “Best Film & Video Production Schools” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend USC is $17,287 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 1.3%, 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 University of Southern California Film & Video Production Report
Fashion Institute of Technology came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. FIT SUNY is a medium-sized school located in New York, New York that handed out 19 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
FIT SUNY not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for FIT SUNY is $7,688 for Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Fashion Institute of Technology Film & Video Production Report
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school handed out 91 diplomas to qualified ’s cinematography students in 2020-2021.
UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $6,810 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 91%.
Full University of California - Riverside Film & Video Production Report
Valencia College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Valencia College is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 102 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Valencia College is $4,942 for Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Valencia College
The City College of New York ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cinematography degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CCNY is $1,254 for Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full CCNY Film & Video Production Report
With a ranking of #11, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 139 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UCF is $4,468 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UCF Film & Video Production Report
California State University - Sacramento ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cinematography degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $8,163 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film & Video Production at California State University - Sacramento
Miami Dade College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Miami Dade College is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 147 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for MDC is $4,482 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Film & Video Production at MDC
With a ranking of #14, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 2 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Arizona also took the #23 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,987 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Arizona.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Film & Video Production at University of Arizona
Oakland University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oakland is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 13 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $8,949 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Oakland
Scottsdale Community College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Scottsdale, Arizona is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cinematography degrees to 72 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Scottsdale Community College is $11,029 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Scottsdale Community College Film & Video Production Report
Central Washington University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Ellensburg, Washington, this fairly large public school handed out 22 degrees to qualified ’s cinematography students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Central Washington University is $10,796 for Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full CWU Film & Video Production Report
University of Iowa ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 2 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Iowa is also in the top of our “Best Film & Video Production Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $13,554 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 88%.
Read full report on Film & Video Production at Iowa
Syracuse University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Syracuse, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Syracuse also made our “Best Film & Video Production Schools” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $17,250 for Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Syracuse.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Syracuse
University of North Carolina at Wilmington ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Wilmington, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 95 diplomas to qualified ’s cinematography students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Wilmington is $11,710 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 & Video Production at UNCW
San Francisco State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified ’s cinematography students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $10,705 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film & Video Production at San Francisco State University
Community College of Aurora came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CCA is a public institution located in Aurora, Colorado. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for CCA is $6,327 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Community College of Aurora Film & Video Production Report
Central New Mexico Community College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Central New Mexico Community College is a fairly large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 50 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $1,994 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CNM.
Read full report on Film & Video Production at CNM
Pima Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Pima County Community College District is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $2,831 for cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pima County Community College District.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Pima Community College
With a ranking of #25, Middle Tennessee State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, this large public school handed out 91 diplomas to qualified ’s cinematography students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Middle Tennessee State University is $8,763 for Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Middle Tennessee State University
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