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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production (Income $0-$30k)

121 Ranked Colleges
5,268 Degrees Awarded
$8,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 8,429 people earned their degree in film and video production, making the major the 113th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,268 film and video production graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 121 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in film and video production. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great film and video production programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the film and video production 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

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 Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most 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 Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also took the #2 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $5,273 for Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Washington University in St Louis Film & Video Production Report

#2

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school awarded 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.

Florida State also took the #12 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,360 for bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film & Video Production at Florida State University

#3

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brooklyn College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Brooklyn College is a fairly large school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 101 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $1,106 for bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Brooklyn College Film & Video Production Report

#4

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#14 in overall quality

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. University of North Carolina School of the Arts is a small school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 71 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNCSA has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina School of the Arts is $3,456 for Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national 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. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Top 25% in overall quality

Out of the 121 schools in the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Central Florida landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school handed out 121 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Florida is $6,211 for Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at UCF

#16 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at UCR

#7

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CCNY is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 26 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CCNY is $704 for bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full CCNY Film & Video Production Report

#8

Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, New York
#21 in overall quality

Fashion Institute of Technology came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fashion Institute of Technology is a medium-sized public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 16 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

FIT SUNY also took the #21 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,123 for Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FIT SUNY.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Fashion Institute of Technology Film & Video Production Report

#9

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Arizona ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Arizona is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $10,562 for Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full University of Arizona Film & Video Production Report

California State University - Sacramento landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $6,819 for bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at Sac State

#11

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 114 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $14,668 for Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USC.

The impressive 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. 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 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at USC

#12

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Middle Tennessee State University is a large school located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee that handed out 68 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Middle Tennessee State University is $8,919 for bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Middle Tennessee State University Film & Video Production Report

#13

Miami Dade College

Miami, Florida

Miami Dade College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Miami Dade College is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Miami Dade College is $4,471 for Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at MDC

#14

Binghamton University

Vestal, New York
#9 in overall quality

Binghamton University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Vestal, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.

Binghamton University also took the #9 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Binghamton University is $12,686 for Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Binghamton University Film & Video Production Report

#15

SUNY Oswego

Oswego, New York

SUNY Oswego ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Oswego, New York, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Oswego is $9,698 for bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at SUNY Oswego

#16

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York

SUNY Fredonia came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SUNY Fredonia is located in Fredonia, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend SUNY Fredonia is $10,770 for Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at SUNY Fredonia

#17

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Wilmington, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Wilmington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. UNCW is located in Wilmington, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 85 bachelors’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UNCW is $12,229 for bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 more about Film & Video Production at UNCW

#18

University of Rhode Island

Kingston, Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. URI is a fairly large public school situated in Kingston, Rhode Island. It awarded 41 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Rhode Island is $14,309 for bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 & Video Production at University of Rhode Island

#19

Rutgers University - Newark

Newark, New Jersey

Rutgers University - Newark came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rutgers Newark is a public institution located in Newark, New Jersey. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Rutgers University - Newark is $10,131 for Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 & Video Production at Rutgers Newark

#20

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, Michigan

Northern Michigan University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Marquette, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s cinematography degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Michigan University is $9,137 for Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Film & Video Production at Northern Michigan University

Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus is located in Madison, New Jersey and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend FDU is $14,630 for bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus Film & Video Production Report

#22

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington

Central Washington University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Central Washington University is located in Ellensburg, Washington and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Central Washington University is $9,875 for Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Central Washington University Film & Video Production Report

#23

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oakland University is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 10 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $7,490 for Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Oakland Film & Video Production Report

Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Portales, New Mexico, this medium-sized public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for ENMU - Main Campus is $8,115 for Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at ENMU - Main Campus

#25

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is a public institution located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The school has a large population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Rutgers New Brunswick not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $13,545 for Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rutgers University - New Brunswick.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 & Video Production at Rutgers University - New Brunswick

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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