2023 Best Value Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts (With Aid)
276
Ranked Colleges
16,778
Degrees Awarded
$10,200
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 16,778 people earned their degree in film, video and photographic arts, making the major the 62nd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, film, video and photographic arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $24,170 and had an average of $25,804 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 276 colleges that offered a degree in film, video and photographic arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent film, video and photographic arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the film, video and photographic arts 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 & Photographic Arts 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 Film Schools For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Schools For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 38 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also took the #15 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $12,017 for Film students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Out of the 276 schools in the Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Brooklyn College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 139 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,067 for Film students with aid per year to attend Brooklyn College.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 & Photographic Arts at Brooklyn College
Out of the 276 schools in the Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Valencia College landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 102 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Valencia College is $5,354 for Film students with aid.
Full Valencia College Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Out of the 276 schools in the Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Hunter College landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 46 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $2,158 for film students with aid per year to attend Hunter College.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Hunter College Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Out of the 276 schools in the Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Fashion Institute of Technology landed the #5 spot on the list. FIT SUNY is located in New York, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 39 ’s film degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $10,389 for film students with aid per year to attend FIT SUNY.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full FIT SUNY Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
With a ranking of #6, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 127 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #8 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $15,023 for film students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UCLA
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 87 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for film students with aid.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 53 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
BYU also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $13,474 for film students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full BYU Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
The City College of New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for The City College of New York is $2,805 for film students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full The City College of New York Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 31 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Purdue is in the top on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for film students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad 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 full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Purdue University - Main Campus
Miami Dade College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Miami Dade College is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 152 ’s film degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for MDC is $4,870 for film students with aid.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Miami Dade College
With a ranking of #12, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 167 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. It costs about $12,209 for film students with aid per year to attend UC Irvine.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of California - Irvine
Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 52 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Florida State also did well on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $9,946 for film students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Florida State Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
University of California - Riverside came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 199 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR excels when it comes to film quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $11,822 for Film students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
Full UCR Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 184 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $16,252 for Film students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
With a ranking of #16, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid list. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 178 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $10,054 for film students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at California State University - Long Beach
University of California - Berkeley came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 79 ’s film degrees to qualified students.
UC Berkeley also took the #7 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for Film students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of California - Berkeley
University of Central Florida ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 144 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,618 for Film students with aid per year to attend UCF.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Central Florida
University of North Carolina School of the Arts came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UNCSA is a public institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 88 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UNCSA is $13,276 for film students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UNCSA
With a ranking of #20, Scottsdale Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Scottsdale Community College is a medium-sized school located in Scottsdale, Arizona that handed out 72 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $11,088 for Film students with aid per year to attend Scottsdale Community College.
Full Scottsdale Community College Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Yale University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Yale is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Yale also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $15,296 for Film students with aid per year to attend Yale University.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Yale
Queens College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. QC is a fairly large public school situated in Queens, New York. It awarded 10 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Queens College is $3,469 for Film students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at QC
Metropolitan Community College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Metropolitan Community College is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s film degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $4,315 for film students with aid per year to attend Metropolitan Community College.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at MCC
University of Utah came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 126 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, U of U is in the top on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Utah is $13,572 for film students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 89%.
Full University of Utah Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
California State University - Sacramento came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 73 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $11,178 for Film students with aid per year to attend Sac State.
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%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Sac State
