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2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

19 Ranked Colleges
1,286 Degrees Awarded
$15,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Film/Cinema/Media Studies is the 145th most popular major in the country with 5,210 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 1,709 film / cinema / media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,286 film / cinema / media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in film / cinema / media studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality film / cinema / media studies 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 / cinema / media studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The film studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Film/Cinema/Media Studies (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s film studies degrees to qualified students.

Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $-1,387 for california bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $0-$30k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Stanford

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 125 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 94%.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at University of California - Irvine

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 82 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its 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%.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at UC Berkeley

#4

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at University of California - Los Angeles

#9 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 #5 for the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 184 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 116 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also took the #10 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,366 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCR.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full UCR Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#7

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#7 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 159 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also took the #7 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $10,316 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 University of California - Santa Barbara Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s film studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUDH has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUDH Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#11 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also made our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $9,842 for california bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. 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 more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at University of California - Davis

#10

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 110 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $14,668 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 1.2%, 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 more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at USC

#11

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#13 in overall quality

San Francisco State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 218 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, SFSU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SFSU.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at SFSU

#12

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Occidental College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oxy is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 24 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oxy, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oxy is $13,146 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Occidental College Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#13

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, California
#12 in overall quality

Westmont College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Westmont is a small school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Westmont did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Westmont is $23,381 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Westmont

#14

National University

La Jolla, California
#17 in overall quality

National University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. National University is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

National University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full National University Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#15

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#15 in overall quality

University of the Pacific did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Pacific is a medium-sized school located in Stockton, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Pacific has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pacific is $21,972 for california bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at University of the Pacific

#16

Chapman University

Orange, California
#3 in overall quality

Chapman University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Orange, California, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Chapman also made our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Chapman University is $33,219 for california bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at Chapman University

#17

Columbia College Hollywood

Tarzana, California
#16 in overall quality

Columbia College Hollywood landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia College Hollywood is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Tarzana, California. It awarded 114 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Columbia College Hollywood has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Hollywood is $28,444 for california bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Columbia College Hollywood Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#18

Pepperdine University

Malibu, California
#14 in overall quality

Pepperdine University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pepperdine is a medium-sized school located in Malibu, California that handed out 10 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Pepperdine has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pepperdine University is $31,185 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Pepperdine University Film/Cinema/Media Studies Report

#19

New York Film Academy

Burbank, California
#19 in overall quality

New York Film Academy came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. New York Film Academy is a small private for-profit school situated in Burbank, California. It awarded 1 bachelors’s film studies degrees in 2019-2020.

New York Film Academy also made our “Best Film/Cinema/Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend New York Film Academy is $40,748 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film/Cinema/Media Studies at New York Film Academy

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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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