2023 Best Value Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts (Income $0-$30k)
275
Ranked Colleges
16,778
Degrees Awarded
$6,000
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Film, Video & Photographic Arts is the 62nd most popular major in the country with 16,778 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 275 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in film, video and photographic arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality film, video and photographic arts 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, video and photographic arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. 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 Film Schools 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 Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 87 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also took the #4 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for Film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Full U-M Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Out of the 275 schools in the Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s film degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our film students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $245 for film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Northwestern Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Out of the 275 schools in the Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #3 spot on the list. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s film degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.
Yale not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Yale University is $961 for Film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Full Yale University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $1,556 for film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Washington University in St Louis
Out of the 275 schools in the Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 28 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $580 for film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UPenn
Vanderbilt University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 17 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Vanderbilt is also in the top of our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $3,176 for Film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Vanderbilt University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
With a ranking of #7, Lafayette College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Easton, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s film degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
Lafayette did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette College is $11,728 for film students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. 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.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Lafayette College
Johns Hopkins University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Johns Hopkins University is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s film degrees to qualified students.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Johns Hopkins also did well on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins is $2,084 for Film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Johns Hopkins
University of California - Berkeley ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 79 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also took the #7 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,450 for Film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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%.
Full University of California - Berkeley Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
With a ranking of #10, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 127 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,037 for film students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of California - Los Angeles
Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Columbia is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 75 ’s film degrees to qualified students.
Columbia also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $9,873 for film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Columbia
Brooklyn College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brooklyn College is located in Brooklyn, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 139 ’s film degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $1,547 for Film students whose families make $0-$30k 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 full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Brooklyn College
University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 38 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our film students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $5,194 for film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UW Seattle
With a ranking of #14, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 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 in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for film students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 93%.
Full Purdue University - Main Campus Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Tufts University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Medford, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Tufts excels when it comes to film quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Tufts is $8,122 for film students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Tufts University
University of North Carolina School of the Arts came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 88 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,766 for Film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNCSA.
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 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full University of North Carolina School of the Arts Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
With a ranking of #17, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 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 ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $4,950 for film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 95%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Florida State University
Hunter College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hunter is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 46 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Hunter College is $396 for film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Hunter College Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
With a ranking of #19, Emory University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 31 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
Emory not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Emory is $8,538 for film students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Emory University
Boston College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Boston College also did well on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $10,212 for film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Boston College
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 184 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,568 for Film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UCSB
Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 53 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
BYU also took the #25 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Provo is $9,445 for film students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full BYU Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
University of California - Irvine landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 167 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our film students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,540 for Film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UC Irvine
With a ranking of #24, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 310 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our film students whose families make $0-$30k list, USC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $17,287 for film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Southern California
Dartmouth College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
Dartmouth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth College is $6,034 for Film students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 Dartmouth Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
