2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Photography (Income $30-$48k) in California

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Photography Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Photography Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 4 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in photography. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality photography 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 photography program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The photography 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 Photography Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Photography Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california master’s degree photography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 4 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Photography (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California

$12,612 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified masters’s photography students in 2019-2020.

MSMU also made our “Best Photography Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #0. Average graduate tuition and fees at MSMU are $12,612, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Mount Saint Mary’s University Photography Report

#2

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California

#1 in overall quality

$27,688 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Academy of Art University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized private for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 56 masters’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Academy of Art University, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Photography Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Academy of Art University are $27,688, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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 $30-$48k. Located in Valencia, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified masters’s photography students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CalArts, the school also landed the #2 spot 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.

Full California Institute of the Arts Photography Report

#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 $30-$48k 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 private for-profit school situated in Burbank, California. It awarded 7 masters’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

New York Film Academy also made our “Best Photography Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. Average graduate tuition and fees at New York Film Academy are $35,457, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Photography at New York Film Academy

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Photography (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region
• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Photography (Income $30-$48k)

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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