2023 Most Focused Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts in California
96
Ranked Colleges
4,258
Degrees Awarded
$40,000
Avg Cost*
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 “Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California” 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 “Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California” ranking analyzed 96 colleges that offered a degree in film, video and photographic arts. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in film, video and photographic arts.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 “Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California” list to help you make the college 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
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
Out of the 96 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, American Film Institute Conservatory landed the #1 spot on the list. American Film Institute is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 82 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 American Film Institute Conservatory
Out of the 96 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia College Hollywood landed the #2 spot on the list. Columbia College Hollywood is a small school located in Tarzana, California that handed out 135 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Columbia College Hollywood
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New York Film Academy. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California. New York Film Academy is a small private for-profit school situated in Burbank, California. It awarded 355 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full New York Film Academy Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Francisco Art Institute. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. San Francisco Art Institute is a small school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 18 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 San Francisco Art Institute
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Los Angeles Film School. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California. Hollywood, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s film degrees to 352 students in 2020-2021.
Full Los Angeles Film School Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
With a ranking of #6, California Institute of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. California Institute of the Arts is located in Valencia, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 63 ’s film degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, 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 California Institute of the Arts Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Woodbury University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. Woodbury is a small school located in Burbank, California that handed out 42 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Woodbury
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 private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Art Center College of Design Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Academy of Art University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking, coming in at #9. Academy of Art University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 172 ’s film degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Academy of Art University
Chapman University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking, coming in at #10. This medium-sized school is located in Orange, California, and it awarded 190 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, 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%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Chapman University
California College of the Arts came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. This small school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 26 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
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 full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at California College of the Arts
With a ranking of #12, Occidental College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 24 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Oxy
With a ranking of #13, Biola University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. 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.
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%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Biola University
With a ranking of #14, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 104 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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%. 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 more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Loyola Marymount University
San Francisco State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the 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 247 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
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 full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at SFSU
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 179 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of California - Santa Cruz
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. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 21 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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 more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at MSMU
University of California - Riverside ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 199 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UCR Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 184 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Full UCSB Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
With a ranking of #20, SAE Expression College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. Emeryville, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s film degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at SAE Expression College
University of Southern California ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 310 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Southern California
California State University - Long Beach landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 178 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at California State University - Long Beach
With a ranking of #23, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 167 students in 2020-2021.
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 University of California - Irvine Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 10 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
Full FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking, coming in at #25. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 21 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Humboldt State University
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