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

20 Ranked Colleges
1,011 Degrees Awarded
$26,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Film & Video Production is the 113th most popular major in the country with 8,429 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 2,162 film and video production graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,011 film and video production graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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 and video production program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Film & Video Production Schools

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 a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production (Income $0-$30k) in California

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Riverside. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s cinematography degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCR has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,366 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

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 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 University of California - Riverside Film & Video Production Report

#11 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Sacramento landed the #2 spot on the list. 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.

Sac State also made our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $6,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sac State.

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%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Film & Video Production Report

#3

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s cinematography degrees to 114 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k list, USC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $14,668 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Film & Video Production at University of Southern California

#4

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#17 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Humboldt State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.

Humboldt State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,263 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Full Humboldt State University Film & Video Production Report

#5

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, California
#14 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Lutheran University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Thousand Oaks, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CLU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Lutheran University is $18,173 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at CLU

#6

Pacific Union College

Angwin, California
#16 in overall quality

Pacific Union College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Angwin, California, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k list, PUC has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend PUC is $15,901 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full PUC Film & Video Production Report

#7

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#10 in overall quality

Biola University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in La Mirada, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 56 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.

Biola also took the #10 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Biola is $25,135 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Biola University Film & Video Production Report

#8

Woodbury University

Burbank, California
#13 in overall quality

Woodbury University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Woodbury is a small school located in Burbank, California that handed out 15 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

Woodbury also took the #13 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,148 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Woodbury.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 Woodbury Film & Video Production Report

#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, John Paul the Great Catholic University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. JPCatholic is located in Escondido, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 60 bachelors’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.

JPCatholic also made our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for John Paul the Great Catholic University is $25,288 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 JPCatholic Film & Video Production Report

#10

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, California
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, California College of the Arts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California College of the Arts is a small school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 16 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

California College of the Arts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California College of the Arts is $28,555 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film & Video Production at California College of the Arts

#11

Chapman University

Orange, California
#2 in overall quality

Chapman University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Orange, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 146 degrees to qualified bachelors’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.

Chapman also took the #2 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chapman University is $33,219 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 Chapman University

#12

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Loyola Marymount University is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 79 bachelors’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.

Loyola Marymount also made our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $32,367 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Loyola Marymount.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 & Video Production at Loyola Marymount University

#13

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California
#12 in overall quality

Mount Saint Mary’s University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. MSMU is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 14 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k list, MSMU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MSMU is $27,107 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 MSMU

#14

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California
#6 in overall quality

Academy of Art University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 53 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

Academy of Art University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Academy of Art University is $29,390 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at Academy of Art University

#15

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, California
#7 in overall quality

Art Center College of Design came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Art Center College of Design is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Art Center College of Design, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Art Center College of Design is $42,297 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Art Center College of Design Film & Video Production Report

#16

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, California
#8 in overall quality

California Institute of the Arts landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CalArts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Valencia, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k list, CalArts has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CalArts is $43,576 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Full California Institute of the Arts Film & Video Production Report

#17

San Francisco Art Institute

San Francisco, California
#15 in overall quality

San Francisco Art Institute landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Francisco Art Institute is a small school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 6 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k list, SFAI has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $35,029 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Francisco Art Institute.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at SFAI

#18

SAE Expression College

Emeryville, California
#20 in overall quality

SAE Expression College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Emeryville, California, this small private for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SAE Expression College, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SAE Expression College is $30,654 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Film & Video Production at SAE Expression College

#19

Los Angeles Film School

Hollywood, California
#19 in overall quality

Los Angeles Film School did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. LA Film School is located in Hollywood, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 145 bachelors’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.

LA Film School also took the #19 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Los Angeles Film School is $30,421 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full LA Film School Film & Video Production Report

#20

New York Film Academy

Burbank, California
#18 in overall quality

New York Film Academy did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. This small school is located in Burbank, California, and it awarded 106 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

New York Film Academy also made our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for New York Film Academy is $40,748 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. 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 full report on Film & Video Production at New York Film Academy

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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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