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

36 Ranked Colleges
2,741 Degrees Awarded
$14,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Film, Video & Photographic Arts is the 64th most popular major in the country with 17,506 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, film, video and photographic arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $22,714 and had an average of $31,549 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 4,639 film, video and photographic arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $22,855 and $40,424 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,741 film, video and photographic arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 36 colleges that offered a degree in film, video and photographic arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality film, video and photographic arts 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, video and photographic arts program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Film 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Film 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 film students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $-1,387 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $0-$30k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Stanford University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 125 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full UC Irvine Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 82 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UC Berkeley

#4

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 28 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of California - Los Angeles

#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 184 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #10 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at California State University - Long Beach

University of California - Riverside ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 185 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,366 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCR.

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

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of California - Riverside

#7

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 159 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,316 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 California - Santa Barbara Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 20 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,455 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at California State University - Dominguez Hills

University of California - Davis ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 60 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UC Davis

California State University - Sacramento landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 83 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $0-$30k list, Sac State has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $6,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 California State University - Sacramento Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#11

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 224 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,668 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USC.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at USC

#12

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 218 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

SFSU also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at San Francisco State University

#13

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 211 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #14 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,872 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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.

Full UC Santa Cruz Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#14

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California
#6 in overall quality

Occidental College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oxy is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Oxy also took the #6 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,146 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Occidental College.

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 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 & Photographic Arts at Occidental College

#15

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Humboldt State University is a public institution located in Arcata, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,263 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Humboldt State University

#16

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, California
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Westmont College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Westmont College is a small school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $0-$30k list, Westmont has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Westmont College is $23,381 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Westmont Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#17

National University

La Jolla, California

National University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. National University is a fairly large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full National University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#18

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, California

California Lutheran University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. This small school is located in Thousand Oaks, California, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California Lutheran University is $18,173 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 CLU Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#19

Pacific Union College

Angwin, California

Pacific Union College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pacific Union College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Angwin, California. It awarded 3 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,901 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend PUC.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at PUC

#20

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#23 in overall quality

University of the Pacific ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stockton, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s film degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of the Pacific is $21,972 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Pacific Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#21

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#22 in overall quality

Biola University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in La Mirada, California, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

Biola also took the #22 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Biola is $25,135 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Biola

#22

Woodbury University

Burbank, California

Woodbury University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Woodbury is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Burbank, California. It awarded 25 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $21,148 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Woodbury University.

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 & Photographic Arts at Woodbury University

John Paul the Great Catholic University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Escondido, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 60 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

JPCatholic also took the #15 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend John Paul the Great Catholic University is $25,288 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 & Photographic Arts at John Paul the Great Catholic University

#24

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, California

California College of the Arts ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Film 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 26 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

California College of the Arts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $28,555 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California College of the Arts.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, 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.

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

#25

Chapman University

Orange, California

Chapman University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Orange, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 158 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Chapman also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Chapman is $33,219 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 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%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Chapman

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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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