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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production in the Far Western US Region

22 Ranked Colleges
1,109 Degrees Awarded
$31,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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

Across the Far Western US region, there were 2,291 film and video production graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,109 film and video production graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region” ranking looked at 22 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.

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

The cinematography school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region.

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production in the Far Western US Region

#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Sacramento. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #12 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students.

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 more about Film & Video Production at Sac State

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend John Paul the Great Catholic University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region. This small school is located in Escondido, California, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

JPCatholic did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend JPCatholic is $29,749 for far western us region bachelor’s degree cinematography students.

The low 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 JPCatholic

#3

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington
#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Washington University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. CWU is a public institution located in Ellensburg, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CWU also made our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $15,397 for far western us region bachelor’s degree cinematography students per year to attend CWU.

Read more about Film & Video Production at Central Washington University

#4

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Academy of Art University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. This medium-sized school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree cinematography students list, Academy of Art University has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Academy of Art University is $34,145 for far western us region bachelor’s degree cinematography students.

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

#5

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#20 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 #5 for the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s cinematography degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

Humboldt State University also made our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $14,692 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students.

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

#6

Cornish College of the Arts

Seattle, Washington
#15 in overall quality

Cornish College of the Arts did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #6. Cornish College of the Arts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornish College of the Arts, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $39,078 for far western us region bachelor’s degree cinematography students per year to attend Cornish College of the Arts.

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 low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.

Full Cornish College of the Arts Film & Video Production Report

#7

Pacific Union College

Angwin, California
#19 in overall quality

Pacific Union College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Pacific Union College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Angwin, California. It awarded 2 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

PUC also took the #19 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend PUC is $21,835 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students.

Full Pacific Union College Film & Video Production Report

#8

George Fox University

Newberg, Oregon
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, George Fox University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. GFU is located in Newberg, Oregon and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.

GFU also made our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for GFU is $30,378 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full GFU Film & Video Production Report

#9

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#10 in overall quality

Biola University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Biola is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Mirada, California. It awarded 56 bachelors’s cinematography 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 the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Biola University is $31,859 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students.

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%.

Full Biola University Film & Video Production Report

#10

Woodbury University

Burbank, California
#16 in overall quality

Woodbury University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. This small school is located in Burbank, California, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree cinematography students list, Woodbury has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $23,915 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students 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%.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at Woodbury University

#11

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSMU, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MSMU is $29,214 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students.

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%. 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.

Read more about Film & Video Production at MSMU

#12

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#4 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 69 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $12,871 for far western us region bachelor’s degree cinematography students.

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 loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCR Film & Video Production Report

#13

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, California
#7 in overall quality

Art Center College of Design ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Art Center College of Design is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 18 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

Art Center College of Design not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Art Center College of Design is $47,080 for far western us region bachelor’s degree cinematography students.

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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Art Center College of Design Film & Video Production Report

#14

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, California
#17 in overall quality

California Lutheran University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Thousand Oaks, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s cinematography degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

CLU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend California Lutheran University is $26,489 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California Lutheran University Film & Video Production Report

#15

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 the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #15. Loyola Marymount University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s 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 the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount University is $42,861 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students.

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%. 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.

Full Loyola Marymount University Film & Video Production Report

#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 the Far Western US Region ranking. Valencia, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s cinematography degrees to 14 students 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 the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of the Arts is $50,412 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students.

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%.

Read full report on Film & Video Production at CalArts

#17

New York Film Academy

Burbank, California
#21 in overall quality

New York Film Academy ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Burbank, California, this small private for-profit school awarded 106 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.

New York Film Academy also took the #21 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend New York Film Academy is $45,280 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film & Video Production at New York Film Academy

#18

San Francisco Art Institute

San Francisco, California
#18 in overall quality

San Francisco Art Institute did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #18. San Francisco Art Institute is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 6 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

SFAI also took the #18 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco Art Institute is $41,392 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students.

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 SFAI

#19

SAE Expression College

Emeryville, California
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, SAE Expression College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. SAE Expression College is located in Emeryville, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.

SAE Expression College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $31,931 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students per year to attend SAE Expression College.

Read more about Film & Video Production at SAE Expression College

#20

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, California
#9 in overall quality

California College of the Arts came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. This small school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at California College of the Arts, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $33,876 for far western us region bachelor’s degree cinematography students per year to attend California College of the Arts.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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

#21

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 the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #21. Chapman University is a medium-sized school located in Orange, California that handed out 146 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.

Chapman also made our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Chapman University is $41,350 for far western us region bachelor’s degree cinematography students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

Full Chapman Film & Video Production Report

#22

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 114 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $29,528 for far western us region bachelor’s degree cinematography students per year to attend USC.

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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Film & Video Production at USC

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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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