2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production in California
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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.
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.
This year’s “Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered 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.
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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” 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. 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 California
The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students.
Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production in California
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Sacramento landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 52 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.
Sac State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for california 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Riverside. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California 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.
UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $12,871 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 California - Riverside
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Humboldt State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 28 degrees to qualified bachelors’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.
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 $14,692 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students per year to attend Humboldt State University.
Read full report on Film & Video Production at Humboldt State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend John Paul the Great Catholic University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Escondido, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 60 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s cinematography students 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 JPCatholic is $29,749 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students.
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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Academy of Art University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. 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 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.
Full Academy of Art University Film & Video Production Report
Pacific Union College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. PUC 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 #16 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,835 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students per year to attend Pacific Union College.
Biola University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #7. La Mirada, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s cinematography degrees to 56 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 $31,859 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Woodbury University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #8. Burbank, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s cinematography degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
Woodbury also made our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Woodbury is $23,915 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students.
The low student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. 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.
Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #9. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.
MSMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for MSMU is $29,214 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students.
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 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 Mount Saint Mary’s University
Art Center College of Design ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 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 California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Art Center College of Design is $47,080 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students.
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 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Art Center College of Design
California Lutheran University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. CLU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Thousand Oaks, California. It awarded 4 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.
CLU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CLU is $26,489 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students.
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%.
New York Film Academy did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Burbank, California, and it awarded 106 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.
New York Film Academy also took the #18 spot 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.
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%. 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.
Loyola Marymount University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Loyola Marymount University is a medium-sized school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 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. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount is $42,861 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 more about Film & Video Production at Loyola Marymount University
San Francisco Art Institute landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This small school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.
SFAI also made our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $41,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students per year to attend San Francisco Art Institute.
Since the school has a 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
With a ranking of #15, California Institute of the Arts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California Institute of the Arts 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.
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 yearly cost to attend CalArts is $50,412 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California Institute of the Arts Film & Video Production Report
With a ranking of #16, SAE Expression College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California 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 also took the #20 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SAE Expression College is $31,931 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students.
Read more about Film & Video Production at SAE Expression College
California College of the Arts did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #17. 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 bachelors’s 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 California” ranking. It costs about $33,876 for California 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 low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 California College of the Arts Film & Video Production Report
Chapman University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Chapman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Orange, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 146 bachelors’s degrees 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 is $41,350 for California Bachelor’s Degree Cinematography students.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #19, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 114 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
USC also made our “Best Film & Video Production Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $29,528 for california bachelor’s degree cinematography students.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Full University of Southern California Film & Video Production Report
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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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