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2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

35 Ranked Colleges
2,741 Degrees Awarded
$16,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

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 a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Film, Video & Photographic Arts is the 64th most popular major in the country with 17,506 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, film, video and photographic arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $22,714 and had an average of $31,549 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 4,639 film, video and photographic arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $22,855 and $40,424 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,741 film, video and photographic arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 35 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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 film, video and photographic arts program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The film 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 Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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 a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $1,145 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 Stanford University

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,254 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 82 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $9,130 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 students.

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

#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 184 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSULB.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full CSULB Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 125 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,373 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

The 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 94%.

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

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 185 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,151 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCR.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 UCR Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#7

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 159 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $11,895 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 students.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of California - Santa Barbara

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $3,115 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#9

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #9, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 224 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend USC is $16,252 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 91%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Southern California

#10

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California
#6 in overall quality

Occidental College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Occidental College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Oxy not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Occidental College is $17,662 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Occidental College

California State University - Sacramento ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 83 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

Sac State also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $7,823 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at California State University - Sacramento

University of California - Davis ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 60 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $10,769 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UC Davis Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#13

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 211 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $11,793 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#14

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 218 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $12,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at San Francisco State University

#15

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Humboldt State University is a public institution located in Arcata, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $12,775 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Humboldt State University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#16

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, California

With a ranking of #16, California Lutheran University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California Lutheran University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Thousand Oaks, California. It awarded 4 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CLU is $18,578 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low 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%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at California Lutheran University

#17

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, California
#13 in overall quality

Westmont College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

Westmont did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Westmont is $26,078 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Westmont College

#18

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#23 in overall quality

University of the Pacific came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Stockton, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pacific is $23,385 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Pacific

#19

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #19, California College of the Arts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

California College of the Arts also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $32,503 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California College of the Arts.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 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 California College of the Arts Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#20

Pacific Union College

Angwin, California

With a ranking of #20, Pacific Union College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. PUC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Angwin, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,984 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Pacific Union College.

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

#21

Pepperdine University

Malibu, California
#18 in overall quality

Pepperdine University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. This medium-sized school is located in Malibu, California, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pepperdine, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $29,593 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Pepperdine.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#22

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#22 in overall quality

Biola University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Biola is located in La Mirada, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Biola, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $25,855 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Biola.

The 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 Biola

#23

Chapman University

Orange, California

Chapman University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Chapman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Orange, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 158 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chapman, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chapman is $31,826 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $30-$48k.

The 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Chapman

#24

Woodbury University

Burbank, California

Woodbury University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Burbank, California, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Woodbury is $21,184 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

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

#25

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #25, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 79 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $30-$48k list, Loyola Marymount has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount University is $35,166 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Loyola Marymount University

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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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