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2023 Best Value Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts (Income $48-$75k)

275 Ranked Colleges
16,778 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 16,778 people earned their degree in film, video and photographic arts, making the major the 62nd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, film, video and photographic arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $24,170 and had an average of $25,804 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 275 colleges that offered a degree in film, video and photographic arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent film, video and photographic arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the film, video and photographic arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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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 Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for film students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts (Income $48-$75k)

1
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Yale is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 30 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our film students whose families make $48-$75k list, Yale has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Yale is $2,815 for film students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Yale University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

2

Out of the 275 schools in the Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #2 spot on the list. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 75 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $8,106 for film students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Columbia

3
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 14 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,849 for film students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Northwestern

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 87 students in 2020-2021.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. It costs about $10,481 for film students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend U-M.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full U-M Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

5
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dartmouth College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. This medium-sized school is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, and it awarded 14 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

Dartmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. It costs about $12,172 for film students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Dartmouth.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Dartmouth College Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

6

With a ranking of #6, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s film degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our film students whose families make $48-$75k list, WUSTL has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washington University in St Louis is $8,149 for film students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Washington University in St Louis

7
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Vanderbilt is also in the top of our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $7,694 for film students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 impressive undergraduate 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full Vanderbilt University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

8

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 38 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,393 for Film students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW Seattle.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

9

University of California - Berkeley landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 79 students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $13,423 for Film students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

10

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 127 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $12,644 for film students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCLA Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

11
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Purdue is in the top on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $8,450 for film students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Purdue University - Main Campus

12
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Johns Hopkins is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 9 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Johns Hopkins is in the top on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $8,457 for Film students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

13
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UPenn is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $12,020 for Film students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

14
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Brooklyn College is located in Brooklyn, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 139 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $7,219 for film students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Brooklyn College

15
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #15, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, Florida State is in the top on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $11,506 for film students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 95%.

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

16

Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. BYU is a large school located in Provo, Utah that handed out 53 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

BYU also took the #25 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,676 for film students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at BYU

17
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, Florida

Valencia College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school handed out 102 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Valencia College is $7,781 for film students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Valencia College

18

University of California - Irvine came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 167 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $13,275 for film students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

19
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Hunter is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,908 for film students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Hunter.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Hunter College

20

University of California - Riverside landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 199 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UCR is also in the top of our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $11,126 for film students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Riverside Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

21

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 184 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $14,583 for film students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UCSB Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

22

Fashion Institute of Technology landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 39 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for FIT SUNY is $12,228 for film students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Fashion Institute of Technology Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

23
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s film degrees to 310 students in 2020-2021.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $22,826 for Film students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Southern California Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

24
MDC crest
Miami Dade College
Miami, Florida

Miami Dade College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. MDC is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 152 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Miami Dade College is $6,808 for film students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

25

University of Central Florida landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 144 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $9,426 for film students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, 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 92%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Central Florida

Rest of the Best 42 in Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 42 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts
27
28
29
30
31
32
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania
33
33
35
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia
36
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts
37
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan
37
39
40
Scottsdale Community College crest
Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale, Arizona
41
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
42
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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