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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts in California

96 Ranked Colleges
$40,000 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Film Major 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 “Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2021-2022, 17,626 people earned their degree in film, video & photographic arts, making the major the 62nd most popular in the United States. In , film, video & photographic arts graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $24,396 and had an average of $31,569 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 4,479 film, video & photographic arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,256 and $45,016 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California” ranking analyzed 96 colleges that offered a degree in film, video & photographic arts. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in film, video & photographic arts.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 “Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California” 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. 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.

Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california film students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts in California

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American Film Institute Conservatory. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California. American Film Institute is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 82 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 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 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 more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at American Film Institute Conservatory

2
Columbia College Hollywood crest
Columbia College Hollywood
Tarzana, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia College Hollywood. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California. Columbia College Hollywood is a small school located in Tarzana, California that handed out 138 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

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

3
New York Film Academy crest
New York Film Academy
Burbank, California

Out of the 96 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, New York Film Academy landed the #3 spot on the list. Burbank, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s film degrees to 350 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full New York Film Academy Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

4
5
LA Film School crest
Los Angeles Film School
Hollywood, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Los Angeles Film School. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. LA Film School is a medium-sized private for-profit school situated in Hollywood, California. It awarded 288 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 LA Film School

6

California Institute of the Arts came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. Located in Valencia, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 52 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2021-2022.

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 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at CalArts

7
Woodbury crest
Woodbury University
Burbank, California

Woodbury University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. This small school is located in Burbank, California, and it awarded 43 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Woodbury University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

8
Art Center College of Design crest
Art Center College of Design
Pasadena, California

Art Center College of Design came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. Art Center College of Design is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 57 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

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

9
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

Academy of Art University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 133 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad 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 Academy of Art University

10
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking, coming in at #10. Chapman is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Orange, California. It awarded 306 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

11
California College of the Arts crest
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, California

California College of the Arts did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 49 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

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 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at California College of the Arts

12
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

Occidental College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 22 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, 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 more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Oxy

13
Biola crest
Biola University
La Mirada, California

Biola University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. Located in La Mirada, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 75 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

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

14
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #14, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. 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 124 students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Loyola Marymount

15
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 257 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 SFSU

16

With a ranking of #16, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 188 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

17
MSMU crest
Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #17, Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. MSMU is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 27 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Mount Saint Mary’s University

18

University of California - Riverside ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 206 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UCR Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

19

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 166 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, 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.

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

20

21
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 317 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate 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 University of Southern California

22

California State University - Long Beach ranked #22 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 197 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at CSULB

23

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking, coming in at #23. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 175 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

24

FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. FIDM Los Angeles is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 13 ’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles

25
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 18 students in 2021-2022.

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 Humboldt State University

Notes and References

References

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