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2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

35 Ranked Colleges
2,741 Degrees Awarded
$22,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor's in California

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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

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

This year’s “Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking analyzed 35 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 a Bachelor’s in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 a Bachelor’s in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts in California

#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. 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.

CSULB also took the #10 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree film students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#2

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Francisco State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 218 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree film students per year to attend San Francisco State University.

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

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film students list, UCLA has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students per year to attend UCLA.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#4

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 159 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree film students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UCSB

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 125 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree film students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

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

California State University - Sacramento landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 83 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree film students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

University of California - Berkeley came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 82 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. 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

University of California - Riverside came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 185 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

UCR also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree film students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 UCR Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

University of California - Davis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 60 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film students list, UC Davis has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,669 for california bachelor’s degree film students per year to attend University of California - Davis.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#10

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 211 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film students list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,186 for california bachelor’s degree film students per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

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

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #11. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 20 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,215 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students per year to attend CSUDH.

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

#12

National University

La Jolla, California

With a ranking of #12, National University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. National University is located in La Jolla, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.

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

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at National University

#13

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #13. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,692 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students per year to attend Humboldt State University.

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

John Paul the Great Catholic University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This small school is located in Escondido, California, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

JPCatholic did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend JPCatholic is $29,749 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at John Paul the Great Catholic University

#15

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California

Academy of Art University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #15. Academy of Art University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 100 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Academy of Art University, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Academy of Art University is $34,145 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students.

Full Academy of Art University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#16

Columbia College Hollywood

Tarzana, California

Columbia College Hollywood did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #16. Tarzana, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s film degrees to 114 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College Hollywood is $31,339 for california bachelor’s degree film students.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Columbia College Hollywood

#17

Pacific Union College

Angwin, California

Pacific Union College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Angwin, California, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Pacific Union College is $21,835 for california bachelor’s degree film students.

Full PUC Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#18

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Biola University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Biola is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Mirada, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Biola not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $31,859 for california bachelor’s degree film students per year to attend Biola.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#19

Woodbury University

Burbank, California

Woodbury University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Woodbury University is a small school located in Burbank, California that handed out 25 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Woodbury University is $23,915 for california bachelor’s degree film students.

The low 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

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

#20

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California

Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

MSMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for MSMU is $29,214 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students.

The 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. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 MSMU Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#21

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, California

Art Center College of Design came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Art Center College of Design is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Art Center College of Design, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $47,080 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students per year to attend Art Center College of Design.

The impressive 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 low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Art Center College of Design

#22

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, California

California Lutheran University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Thousand Oaks, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CLU is $26,489 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students.

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 California Lutheran University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#23

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, California
#13 in overall quality

Westmont College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Westmont College is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.

Westmont also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $31,145 for california bachelor’s degree film students per year to attend Westmont College.

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 Westmont College

#24

New York Film Academy

Burbank, California

New York Film Academy came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. New York Film Academy is a small school located in Burbank, California that handed out 125 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend New York Film Academy is $45,280 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 New York Film Academy

#25

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#23 in overall quality

University of the Pacific landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. University of the Pacific is located in Stockton, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.

Pacific also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for University of the Pacific is $28,929 for california bachelor’s degree film students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive 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 University of the Pacific

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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