2023 Best Value Colleges for Film & Video Production (Income $30-$48k) in California
20
Ranked Colleges
1,951
Degrees Awarded
$28,100
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Film & Video Production is the 117th most popular major in the country with 7,768 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across California, there were 1,951 film and video production graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 20 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. 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 in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 20 Best Value Colleges for Film & Video Production (Income $30-$48k) in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Riverside. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 91 diplomas to qualified ’s cinematography students in 2020-2021.
UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $8,193 for california cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Riverside Film & Video Production Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 216 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $17,345 for California Cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Film & Video Production at University of Southern California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Sacramento. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 ’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.
Sac State also took the #12 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,055 for California Cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Sac State.
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 Sac State
Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, San Francisco State University landed the #4 spot on the list. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 5 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU also made our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $11,862 for California Cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 more about Film & Video Production at San Francisco State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Humboldt State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized school located in Arcata, California that handed out 21 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
Humboldt State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,298 for california cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Humboldt State University.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Humboldt State University
Woodbury University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Burbank, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified ’s cinematography students in 2020-2021.
Woodbury did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” list. It costs about $25,699 for california cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Woodbury University.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 more about Film & Video Production at Woodbury
California Lutheran University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Thousand Oaks, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CLU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CLU is $20,772 for California Cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Full California Lutheran University Film & Video Production Report
Mount Saint Mary’s University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 21 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
MSMU also took the #7 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Saint Mary’s University is $28,838 for california cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 MSMU
Chapman University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chapman University is a medium-sized school located in Orange, California that handed out 166 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chapman, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chapman University is $32,071 for California Cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Chapman Film & Video Production Report
Biola University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Biola University is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Mirada, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 56 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k list, Biola has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $26,419 for California Cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Biola.
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 Biola University
With a ranking of #11, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 99 diplomas to qualified ’s cinematography students in 2020-2021.
Loyola Marymount not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount is $31,985 for California Cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Loyola Marymount
Academy of Art University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 79 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
Academy of Art University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Academy of Art University is $32,975 for California Cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Academy of Art University
Columbia College Hollywood ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia College Hollywood is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tarzana, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 105 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k list, Columbia College Hollywood has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $32,692 for california cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Columbia College Hollywood.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Columbia College Hollywood
California Institute of the Arts ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California Institute of the Arts is a small school located in Valencia, California that handed out 36 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k list, CalArts has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of the Arts is $51,512 for California Cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Film & Video Production at CalArts
California College of the Arts did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. California College of the Arts is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k list, California College of the Arts has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California College of the Arts is $24,239 for california cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Film & Video Production at California College of the Arts
Art Center College of Design ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 41 degrees to qualified ’s cinematography students in 2020-2021.
Art Center College of Design did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” list. It costs about $43,406 for california cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Art Center College of Design.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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.
Read full report on Film & Video Production at Art Center College of Design
FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. FIDM Los Angeles is a private for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
FIDM Los Angeles also took the #14 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles is $41,318 for california cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Film & Video Production at FIDM Los Angeles
San Francisco Art Institute came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 6 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k list, SFAI has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFAI is $34,969 for california cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Film & Video Production at San Francisco Art Institute
Los Angeles Film School did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. LA Film School is a private for-profit institution located in Hollywood, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 255 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
LA Film School not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for LA Film School is $33,225 for California Cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Los Angeles Film School
New York Film Academy ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. New York Film Academy is located in Burbank, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 315 ’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.
New York Film Academy also took the #19 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $43,683 for California Cinematography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend New York Film Academy.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Film & Video Production at New York Film Academy
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