2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 8,429 people earned their degree in film and video production, making the major the 113th most popular in the United States.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 967 film and video production graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 38 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the film and video production program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Featured schools near , edit
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 for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production (With Aid)
Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 5 masters’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.
Stanford also made our “Best Film & Video Production Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford are $55,011, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina School of the Arts landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this small public school awarded 20 degrees to qualified masters’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.
UNCSA also made our “Best Film & Video Production Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #20. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNCSA are $26,064, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s cinematography degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree cinematography students with aid list, Florida State has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State University are $26,707, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Diego State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 7 masters’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at San Diego State University are $18,658.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 2 masters’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Chicago are $27,036.
Full University of Illinois at Chicago Film & Video Production Report
The University of Montana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. The University of Montana is a medium-sized school located in Missoula, Montana that handed out 6 masters’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Montana are $23,242, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full The University of Montana Film & Video Production Report
San Francisco State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 10 masters’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.
SFSU also made our “Best Film & Video Production Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. Average graduate tuition and fees at San Francisco State University are $17,944, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full San Francisco State University Film & Video Production Report
Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 62 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Film & Video Production Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Columbia University in the City of New York
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 2 masters’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee are $25,295, but some majors have different tuition rates.
New Jersey City University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Jersey City, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s cinematography degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
NJCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #0 on our “Best Film & Video Production Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at NJCU are $26,610, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Film & Video Production at New Jersey City University
With a ranking of #11, University of Central Arkansas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Conway, Arkansas, and it awarded 5 masters’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at UCA are $11,648, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Iowa landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s cinematography degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.
Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Film & Video Production Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Iowa are $27,613, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Film & Video Production at University of Iowa
With a ranking of #13, Montana State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Bozeman, Montana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s cinematography degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at MSU Bozeman are $21,446, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full Montana State University Film & Video Production Report
Purchase College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Purchase, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s cinematography degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
Purchase College also took the #24 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purchase College are $24,983, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #15, National University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in La Jolla, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2 degrees to qualified masters’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at National University are $15,480.
Read more about Film & Video Production at National University
Temple University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Temple University is a public institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Temple not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Film & Video Production Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Temple are $24,236, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Film & Video Production at Temple University
Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified masters’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.
MSMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Film & Video Production Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Mount Saint Mary’s University are $12,612.
Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. OHIO Athens is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 6 masters’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at OHIO Athens are $17,712, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Film & Video Production Report
Lipscomb University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 5 masters’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Lipscomb University are $18,000, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
American University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 25 masters’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at The American University, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at The American University are $35,524, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #21, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 147 masters’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.
USC also made our “Best Film & Video Production Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Southern California are $48,715, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Rochester Institute of Technology came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. RIT is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rochester, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
RIT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Film & Video Production Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at RIT are $50,442, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Academy of Art University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this medium-sized private for-profit school handed out 31 diplomas to qualified masters’s cinematography students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree cinematography students with aid list, Academy of Art University has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Film & Video Production Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Academy of Art University are $27,688, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Film & Video Production at Academy of Art University
DePaul University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. DePaul University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 38 masters’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Film & Video Production Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul are $19,760.
Read full report on Film & Video Production at DePaul University
John Paul the Great Catholic University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Cinematography Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. JPCatholic is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Escondido, California. It awarded 8 masters’s cinematography degrees in 2019-2020.
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production in the Southeast Region (With Aid)
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production in the Rocky Mountains Region (With Aid)
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production in the Middle Atlantic Region (With Aid)
Southwest
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production in the Southwest Region (With Aid)
New England
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production in the New England Region (With Aid)
Plains States
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
Far Western US
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Great Lakes
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Film & Video Production Master's Degree Schools
Film & Video Production students
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production
Film & Video Production students
Most Popular Master's Degree Online Film & Video Production Schools
Film & Video Production students
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production (Income $0-$30k)
Film & Video Production students with family income less than $30k
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production (Income $48-$75k)
Film & Video Production students with family income $48-$75k
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production (Income Over $110k)
Film & Video Production students with family income exceeding $110k
Highest Paid Master's Degree Film & Video Production Graduates
Film & Video Production students
Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production
Film & Video Production students
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production (With Aid)
Film & Video Production students getting aid
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production (Income $30-$48k)
Film & Video Production students with family income $30-$48k
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production (Income $75-$110k)
Film & Video Production students with family income $75-$110k
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.
Featured Photography / Film Studies Schools
Request Info |
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |