2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
20
Ranked Colleges
1,951
Degrees Awarded
$28,300
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 7,768 people earned their degree in film and video production, making the major the 117th most popular in the United States.
Across California, there were 1,951 film and video production graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree in film and video production. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality film and video production programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the film and video production program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Film & Video Production Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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 Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 20 Best Value Colleges for Film & Video Production (Income $0-$30k) in 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 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 216 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $17,287 for California Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergraduate 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 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%.
Read more about Film & Video Production at University of Southern California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Riverside. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 91 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCR has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $6,810 for California Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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.
Read full report on Film & Video Production at University of California - Riverside
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Sacramento. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 53 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State also made our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $8,163 for california cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Sac State Film & Video Production Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Francisco State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 5 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $10,705 for California Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 more about Film & Video Production at SFSU
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Humboldt State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s cinematography degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.
Humboldt State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,473 for california cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Humboldt State University.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Humboldt State University
Woodbury University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Burbank, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s cinematography degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
Woodbury also took the #15 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Woodbury is $25,495 for California Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Woodbury University Film & Video Production Report
With a ranking of #7, Academy of Art University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 79 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k list, Academy of Art University has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Academy of Art University is $33,484 for california cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Academy of Art University Film & Video Production Report
With a ranking of #8, California Lutheran University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Thousand Oaks, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CLU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Lutheran University is $20,774 for california cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film & Video Production at California Lutheran University
Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified ’s cinematography students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSMU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MSMU is $29,531 for California Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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%.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Mount Saint Mary’s University
Biola University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Biola is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Mirada, California. It awarded 56 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
Biola not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Biola University is $27,024 for California Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Biola Film & Video Production Report
With a ranking of #11, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 99 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Loyola Marymount also made our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount is $32,730 for California Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 1.8% 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%.
Full Loyola Marymount Film & Video Production Report
Chapman University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chapman University is a medium-sized school located in Orange, California that handed out 166 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
Chapman did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” list. It costs about $34,946 for california cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Chapman.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad 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 more about Film & Video Production at Chapman
Columbia College Hollywood landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia College Hollywood is located in Tarzana, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 105 ’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k list, Columbia College Hollywood has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Hollywood is $31,954 for california cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Columbia College Hollywood
California College of the Arts ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 16 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
California College of the Arts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” list. It costs about $29,530 for california cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California College of the Arts.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%. 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.
Full California College of the Arts Film & Video Production Report
California Institute of the Arts came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CalArts is located in Valencia, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s cinematography degrees to qualified students.
CalArts also took the #6 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CalArts is $52,801 for California Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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%.
Read full report on Film & Video Production at CalArts
Art Center College of Design did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 41 degrees to qualified ’s cinematography students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k list, Art Center College of Design has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $40,209 for california cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Art Center College of Design.
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 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Art Center College of Design
With a ranking of #17, FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. FIDM Los Angeles is a private for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k list, FIDM Los Angeles has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $36,764 for California Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles.
Read full report on Film & Video Production at FIDM Los Angeles
San Francisco Art Institute did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. San Francisco Art Institute is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 6 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k list, SFAI has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco Art Institute is $40,409 for california cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Film & Video Production at San Francisco Art Institute
With a ranking of #19, Los Angeles Film School did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles Film School is a medium-sized school located in Hollywood, California that handed out 255 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
LA Film School also took the #20 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Los Angeles Film School is $32,464 for California Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Film & Video Production at Los Angeles Film School
New York Film Academy landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Cinematography Schools 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 315 ’s cinematography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k list, New York Film Academy has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend New York Film Academy is $43,567 for California Cinematography students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film & Video Production at New York Film Academy
