2023 Best Value Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts in California (With Aid)
29
Ranked Colleges
4,258
Degrees Awarded
$24,600
Avg Net Price*
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 in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
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 Getting Aid” ranking looked at 29 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts in California (With Aid)
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 Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 127 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california film students with aid list, UCLA has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $15,023 for california film students with aid.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Full UCLA Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 167 ’s film degrees 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 UC Irvine is $12,209 for california film students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Full UC Irvine Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Riverside landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 199 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $11,822 for California Film students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 University of California - Riverside
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,252 for california film students with aid per year to attend UCSB.
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 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%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of California - Santa Barbara
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 in California For Those Getting Aid. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 178 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for California Film students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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 undergraduate students.
Full CSULB Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
With a ranking of #6, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for California Film students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Berkeley Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 73 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
Sac State also took the #20 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $11,178 for California Film students with aid.
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%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at California State University - Sacramento
San Francisco State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 247 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $14,459 for california film students with aid.
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%.
Full SFSU Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
University of California - Davis ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 93 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $15,768 for California Film students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UC Davis Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 179 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $17,930 for california film students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UC Santa Cruz
California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,026 for california film students with aid per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at CSUDH
Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized school located in Arcata, California that handed out 21 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $14,956 for California Film students with aid.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Humboldt State University
University of Southern California ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 310 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $32,569 for california film students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 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.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Southern California
Academy of Art University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 172 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
Academy of Art University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Academy of Art University is $36,143 for California Film students with aid.
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%.
Full Academy of Art University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Mount Saint Mary’s University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s film degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.
MSMU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Saint Mary’s University is $30,938 for california film students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Mount Saint Mary’s University
With a ranking of #16, Columbia College Hollywood did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Tarzana, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 135 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
Columbia College Hollywood did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College Hollywood is $32,909 for california film students with aid.
Full Columbia College Hollywood Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Woodbury University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Burbank, California, and it awarded 42 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Woodbury, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $29,715 for California Film students with aid per year to attend Woodbury University.
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. 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%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Woodbury University
National University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 18 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
National University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for National University is $20,722 for California Film students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at National University
Biola University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. La Mirada, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s film degrees to 56 students in 2020-2021.
Biola also took the #21 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Biola University is $33,269 for california film students with aid.
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 University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Chapman University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Orange, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 190 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
Chapman did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Chapman University is $44,198 for California Film students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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 Chapman University
Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 104 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
Loyola Marymount not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount is $44,467 for California Film students with aid.
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%. 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.
Full Loyola Marymount Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
California Lutheran University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. CLU is a small school located in Thousand Oaks, California that handed out 8 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CLU is $27,410 for california film students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California Lutheran University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
With a ranking of #23, California Institute of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $56,876 for California Film students with aid per year to attend California Institute of the Arts.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 CalArts
Los Angeles Film School came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Los Angeles Film School is a private for-profit institution located in Hollywood, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 352 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Los Angeles Film School is $32,723 for california film students with aid.
Full Los Angeles Film School Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
California College of the Arts landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 26 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
California College of the Arts also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend California College of the Arts is $33,122 for California Film students with aid.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full California College of the Arts Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
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