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2023 Best Value Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

38 Ranked Colleges
4,641 Degrees Awarded
$13,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

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.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 4,641 film, video and photographic arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,418 and $26,897 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 38 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 in the Far Western US Region 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. 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 Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,450 for Far Western US Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Full UC Berkeley Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 127 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region film students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,037 for far western us region 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 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 University of California - Los Angeles

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $5,194 for far western us region 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full UW Seattle Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 184 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,568 for far western us region film students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of California - Santa Barbara

5

Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #5 spot on the list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 167 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $6,540 for far western us region film students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, 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%.

Full UC Irvine Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

6
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #6, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s film degrees to 310 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $17,287 for Far Western US Region 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. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full University of Southern California Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

7

University of California - Riverside ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 199 students in 2020-2021.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $6,810 for Far Western US Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCR.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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

8

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 178 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

CSULB also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $6,663 for far western us region film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSULB.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at CSULB

9

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 179 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $11,038 for Far Western US Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UC Santa Cruz

10

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 93 students in 2020-2021.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $10,006 for far western us region film students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UC Davis

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 73 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for Far Western US Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at California State University - Sacramento

12
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 247 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region film students whose families make $0-$30k list, SFSU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $10,705 for Far Western US Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at San Francisco State University

13

University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a public institution located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNLV also took the #19 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $8,991 for far western us region film students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Nevada - Las Vegas Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

14
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Eugene, Oregon, and it awarded 74 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

UO did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $13,666 for Far Western US Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UO.

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%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UO

15
CWU crest
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington

Central Washington University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Central Washington University is located in Ellensburg, Washington and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

CWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend CWU is $10,796 for Far Western US Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Central Washington University

16

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,657 for far western us region film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUDH.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at California State University - Dominguez Hills

17
Portland State University crest
Portland State University
Portland, Oregon

Portland State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Portland State University is located in Portland, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 56 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Portland State University is $10,716 for far western us region film students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Portland State University

18
EWU crest
Eastern Washington University
Cheney, Washington

With a ranking of #18, Eastern Washington University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. EWU is a fairly large public school situated in Cheney, Washington. It awarded 19 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for EWU is $7,657 for far western us region film students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Eastern Washington University

19
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

With a ranking of #19, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 21 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,473 for far western us region film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Humboldt State University

20
Seattle U crest
Seattle University
Seattle, Washington

With a ranking of #20, Seattle University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Seattle U, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Seattle U is $25,304 for Far Western US Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Seattle U

21
Woodbury crest
Woodbury University
Burbank, California

With a ranking of #21, Woodbury University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Woodbury is a private not-for-profit institution located in Burbank, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 42 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $25,495 for Far Western US Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Woodbury.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Woodbury University

22
GFU crest
George Fox University
Newberg, Oregon

George Fox University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. GFU is located in Newberg, Oregon and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for George Fox University is $22,552 for Far Western US Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at George Fox University

23
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

Academy of Art University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this medium-sized private for-profit school handed out 172 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.

Academy of Art University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Academy of Art University is $33,484 for far western us region film students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 Academy of Art University

24
CLU crest
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, California

California Lutheran University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CLU is located in Thousand Oaks, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CLU is $20,774 for Far Western US Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California Lutheran University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

25
MSMU crest
Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, California

Mount Saint Mary’s University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. MSMU is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region film students whose families make $0-$30k list, MSMU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University is $29,531 for far western us region film students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Mount Saint Mary’s University

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