2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Photography (Income $0-$30k) in California

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 Photography Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Photography is the 291st most popular major in the country with 2,438 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 461 photography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 73 photography graduates with average earnings and debt of $60,281 and $50,119 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Photography Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 4 colleges that offer a degree in photography. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality photography programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the photography program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Photography Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Photography Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 4 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Photography (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California

$12,612 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Photography Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Mount Saint Mary’s University landed the #1 spot on the list. MSMU is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 masters’s photography degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSMU, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Photography Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at MSMU are $12,612, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full MSMU Photography Report

#2

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California

#1 in overall quality

$27,688 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Academy of Art University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Photography Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Academy of Art University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 masters’s photography degrees to qualified students.

Academy of Art University also made our “Best Photography Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at Academy of Art University are $27,688, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Academy of Art University Photography Report

#3

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, California

#2 in overall quality

$53,466 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of the Arts. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Photography Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This small school is located in Valencia, California, and it awarded 8 masters’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree photography students whose families make $0-$30k list, CalArts has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Photography Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at CalArts are $53,466, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Photography at CalArts

#4

New York Film Academy

Burbank, California

#3 in overall quality

$35,457 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Photography Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, New York Film Academy landed the #4 spot on the list. New York Film Academy is a small school located in Burbank, California that handed out 7 masters’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

New York Film Academy did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Photography Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at New York Film Academy are $35,457, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full New York Film Academy Photography Report

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Photography (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Photography (Income $0-$30k)

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

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