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2023 Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate

18 Ranked Colleges
46 Degrees Awarded
$35,600 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 46 film, video and photographic arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate” ranking looked at 18 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in film, video and photographic arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular film, video and photographic arts programs in the United States.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 “Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree film students.

1
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 doctorate’s film degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Southern California

2
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University at Buffalo. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate list. University at Buffalo is a public institution located in Buffalo, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University at Buffalo Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

3
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s film degrees to qualified students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full UC Berkeley Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

4
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate list. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

4

Out of the 18 schools in the Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

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

7
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate ranking. Harvard is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 3 doctorate’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Harvard

7

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this large public school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s film students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

9

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 2 doctorate’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

9

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate list. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s film degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 University of California - Santa Cruz

9
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #9. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s film degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Iowa

12

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate list. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

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

12
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #12. KU is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 1 doctorate’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

14
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 190 doctorate’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

14
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

With a ranking of #14, Yale University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate list. This fairly large school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 30 doctorate’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

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

14
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate ranking. NYU is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 426 doctorate’s film degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full NYU Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

14

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

14

Brigham Young University - Provo ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Film Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 53 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s film students in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full BYU Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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