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2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

28 Ranked Colleges
4,258 Degrees Awarded
$29,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Film, Video & Photographic Arts is the 62nd most popular major in the country with 16,778 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.

Across California, there were 4,258 film, video and photographic arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,500 and $27,453 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 28 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the film, video and photographic arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california film students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts (Income $75-$110k) in California

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 127 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $20,697 for california film students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

2

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 79 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $21,601 for california film students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC Berkeley Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 167 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $20,567 for California Film students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

4

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 178 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california film students whose families make $75-$110k list, CSULB has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $15,101 for California Film students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at CSULB

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 93 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also took the #12 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $18,728 for California Film students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

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

6

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #6. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 199 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

UCR also took the #10 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,887 for California Film students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

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

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

7

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 184 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $21,581 for California Film students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UCSB

8

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

Sac State also took the #20 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $16,925 for california film students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

9
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #9, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 247 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

SFSU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $20,159 for California Film students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad 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 more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at SFSU

10

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 179 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $22,380 for California Film students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 85%.

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

11

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $11,085 for california film students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

12
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 310 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $32,363 for California Film students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Southern California.

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 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

13
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $20,326 for california film students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

14
Woodbury crest
Woodbury University
Burbank, California

Woodbury University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Burbank, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 42 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.

Woodbury also took the #24 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Woodbury University is $34,434 for california film students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

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

15
MSMU crest
Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #15, Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Mount Saint Mary’s University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

MSMU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $35,953 for California Film students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University.

With a undergrad 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 undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at MSMU

16
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

Academy of Art University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in San Francisco, California, this medium-sized private for-profit school awarded 172 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Academy of Art University, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Academy of Art University is $40,983 for california film students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

17
Columbia College Hollywood crest
Columbia College Hollywood
Tarzana, California

Columbia College Hollywood did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #17. Columbia College Hollywood is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tarzana, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 135 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia College Hollywood also took the #16 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Hollywood is $33,831 for california film students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Columbia College Hollywood Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

18
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #18. This medium-sized school is located in Orange, California, and it awarded 190 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california film students whose families make $75-$110k list, Chapman has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $42,077 for California Film students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Chapman University.

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%. 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 Chapman Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

19
Biola crest
Biola University
La Mirada, California

Biola University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Biola University is located in La Mirada, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 56 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Biola, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $32,788 for California Film students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Biola.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Biola Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

20
CLU crest
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, California

California Lutheran University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #20. CLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Thousand Oaks, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $29,177 for california film students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend CLU.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 California Lutheran University

21
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s film degrees to 104 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Marymount, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount is $40,066 for california film students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad 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 Loyola Marymount

22
California College of the Arts crest
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, California

California College of the Arts ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s film degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

California College of the Arts also took the #19 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California College of the Arts is $35,494 for California Film students whose families make $75-$110k.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

23

With a ranking of #23, California Institute of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. CalArts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Valencia, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 63 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CalArts also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $58,534 for California Film students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California Institute of the Arts.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full California Institute of the Arts Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

24
Art Center College of Design crest
Art Center College of Design
Pasadena, California

Art Center College of Design came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s film degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Art Center College of Design, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $48,702 for California Film students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Art Center College of Design.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Art Center College of Design Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

25
LA Film School crest
Los Angeles Film School
Hollywood, California

With a ranking of #25, Los Angeles Film School did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Hollywood, California, this medium-sized private for-profit school handed out 352 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Los Angeles Film School is $38,533 for California Film students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at LA Film School

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