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2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

20 Ranked Colleges
1,011 Degrees Awarded
$31,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

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 Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

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 Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree in film and video production. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality film and video production programs that also have a lower cost than 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 picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. 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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production in California (With Aid)

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Riverside landed the #1 spot on the list. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also made our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students with aid.

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 UCR Film & Video Production Report

#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Sacramento. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 52 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree cinematography students with aid list, Sac State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Full Sac State Film & Video Production Report

#3

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#17 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Humboldt State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,692 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students with aid per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at Humboldt State University

#4

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California
#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Mount Saint Mary’s University 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 with aid list, MSMU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University is $29,214 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full MSMU Film & Video Production Report

#5

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. 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.

USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $29,528 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students with aid.

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

Read full report on Film & Video Production at USC

#6

Pacific Union College

Angwin, California
#16 in overall quality

Pacific Union College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Pacific Union College is a small school located in Angwin, California that handed out 2 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at PUC, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pacific Union College is $21,835 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students with aid.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at Pacific Union College

#7

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, California
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, California Lutheran University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Thousand Oaks, California, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

CLU also made our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for CLU is $26,489 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students with aid.

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

#5 in overall quality

John Paul the Great Catholic University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. JPCatholic is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Escondido, California. It awarded 60 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

JPCatholic not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend John Paul the Great Catholic University is $29,749 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at JPCatholic

#9

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Academy of Art University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Academy of Art University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 53 bachelors’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.

Academy of Art University also took the #6 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Academy of Art University is $34,145 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students with aid.

Read more about Film & Video Production at Academy of Art University

#10

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#10 in overall quality

Biola University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Biola is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Mirada, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Biola, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $31,859 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students with aid per year to attend Biola.

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%.

Read more about Film & Video Production at Biola

#11

Woodbury University

Burbank, California
#13 in overall quality

Woodbury University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Woodbury is a private not-for-profit institution located in Burbank, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Woodbury did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $23,915 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students with aid per year to attend Woodbury.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at Woodbury

#12

Chapman University

Orange, California
#2 in overall quality

Chapman University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Chapman is a medium-sized school located in Orange, California that handed out 146 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chapman, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chapman University is $41,350 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students with aid.

The 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 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Film & Video Production at Chapman University

#13

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

Loyola Marymount University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Marymount, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $42,861 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students with aid per year to attend Loyola Marymount University.

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%. The impressive 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.

Full Loyola Marymount Film & Video Production Report

#14

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, California
#7 in overall quality

Art Center College of Design did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Art Center College of Design is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.

Art Center College of Design also made our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Art Center College of Design is $47,080 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Art Center College of Design Film & Video Production Report

#15

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, California
#9 in overall quality

California College of the Arts did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. 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. It costs about $33,876 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students with aid per year to attend California College of the Arts.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 full report on Film & Video Production at California College of the Arts

#16

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, California
#8 in overall quality

California Institute of the Arts came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Valencia, California, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

CalArts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of the Arts is $50,412 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students with aid.

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 low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Full CalArts Film & Video Production Report

#17

SAE Expression College

Emeryville, California
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, SAE Expression College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Emeryville, California, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

SAE Expression College also took the #20 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $31,931 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students with aid per year to attend SAE Expression College.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at SAE Expression College

#18

Los Angeles Film School

Hollywood, California
#19 in overall quality

Los Angeles Film School landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Hollywood, California, this medium-sized private for-profit school awarded 145 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.

LA Film School not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $30,793 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students with aid per year to attend Los Angeles Film School.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at Los Angeles Film School

#19

San Francisco Art Institute

San Francisco, California
#15 in overall quality

San Francisco Art Institute came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s cinematography degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFAI, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFAI is $41,392 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 San Francisco Art Institute

#20

New York Film Academy

Burbank, California
#18 in overall quality

New York Film Academy landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Burbank, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s cinematography degrees to 106 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree cinematography students with aid list, New York Film Academy has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend New York Film Academy is $45,280 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students with aid.

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%. 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.

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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