Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Film, Video & Photographic Arts

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

295 Ranked Colleges
11,965 Degrees Awarded
$10,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

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 For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 17,506 people earned their degree in film, video and photographic arts, making the major the 64th most popular in the United States. 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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 11,965 film, video and photographic arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 295 colleges that offer 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools

The film school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid”.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts (With Aid)

Top 10% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also claimed a top spot on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $13,297 for bachelor’s degree film students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UW Seattle

#2

Hunter College

New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hunter College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s film degrees to 48 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $2,490 for Bachelor’s Degree Film students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Hunter College

#3

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brooklyn College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s film degrees to 101 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $2,683 for bachelor’s degree film students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, 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

#4

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 7 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree film students with aid list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $11,496 for bachelor’s degree film students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%. 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.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Stanford

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for Bachelor’s Degree Film students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#6

Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, New York

Fashion Institute of Technology landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. FIT SUNY is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FIT SUNY is $10,523 for bachelor’s degree film students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Fashion Institute of Technology

Top 20% in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s film degrees to 184 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, CSULB is in the top on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for bachelor’s degree film students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at California State University - Long Beach

#8

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #8, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Purdue also did well on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $13,986 for Bachelor’s Degree Film students with aid per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

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

#9

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

University of North Carolina School of the Arts did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. University of North Carolina School of the Arts is a public institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNCSA is also in the top of our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $13,885 for Bachelor’s Degree Film students with aid per year to attend UNCSA.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%.

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

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s film degrees to 125 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UC Irvine is in the top on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for bachelor’s degree film students with aid.

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

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

#11

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Florida State is also in the top of our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $9,789 for bachelor’s degree film students with aid per year to attend Florida State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Florida State University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#12

Queens College

Queens, New York

Queens College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. QC is located in Queens, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Queens College is $3,067 for Bachelor’s Degree Film students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#13

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. CCNY is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend The City College of New York is $2,385 for Bachelor’s Degree Film students with aid.

Full CCNY Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#14

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 185 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for Bachelor’s Degree Film students with aid.

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 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%.

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

Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. BYU is located in Provo, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 53 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.

BYU excels when it comes to film quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $13,322 for bachelor’s degree film students with aid per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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 BYU Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#16

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. U of U is a large school located in Salt Lake City, Utah that handed out 137 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for U of U is $14,773 for Bachelor’s Degree Film students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#17

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 129 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UCF is $10,274 for bachelor’s degree film students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, 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 92%.

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

#18

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #21 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for Bachelor’s Degree Film students with aid per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UCLA

#19

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan

With a ranking of #19, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #14 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $15,336 for Bachelor’s Degree Film students with aid.

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 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at U-M

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s film degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $4,215 for Bachelor’s Degree Film students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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

#21

Miami Dade College

Miami, Florida

Miami Dade College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. MDC is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Miami Dade College is $4,842 for Bachelor’s Degree Film students with aid.

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

#22

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, New York

College of Staten Island CUNY landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. College of Staten Island CUNY is a fairly large public school situated in Staten Island, New York. It awarded 12 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSI is $5,118 for bachelor’s degree film students with aid.

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

#23

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 2 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $15,249 for bachelor’s degree film students with aid.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 149 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $11,706 for Bachelor’s Degree Film students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Arizona State University - Tempe

#25

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 159 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UCSB is in the top on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. It costs about $15,884 for Bachelor’s Degree Film students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSB Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

Rest of the Best 45 in Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 45 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#28

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#30

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
#31

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#32

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#32

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#34

Rutgers University - Newark

Newark, New Jersey
#38

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#39

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#40

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#42

University of Rhode Island

Kingston, Rhode Island
#43

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#45

SUNY New Paltz

New Paltz, New York

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Photography / Film Studies Schools

Find Schools Near You