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2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

35 Ranked Colleges
2,741 Degrees Awarded
$22,690 Avg Salary
Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 35 colleges that offered 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.

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.

More Ways to Rank Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $48-$75k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,959 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

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

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 28 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of California - Los Angeles

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 82 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #5 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s film degrees to 184 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $10,807 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Riverside landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 185 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also took the #11 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $12,290 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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%.

Full UCR Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

University of California - Irvine ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 125 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $13,648 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%.

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

#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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. 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. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,343 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UCSB

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 60 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

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. It costs about $13,578 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 UC Davis

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 20 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,907 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUDH.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#10

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #10, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 224 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $20,050 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full USC Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#11

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California
#6 in overall quality

Occidental College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s film 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 estimated yearly cost for Oxy is $19,364 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. 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 Occidental College

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 83 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #24 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,413 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Sac State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#13

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 211 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,253 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 University of California - Santa Cruz

#14

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 218 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

SFSU also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $16,661 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Full San Francisco State University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s film degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,723 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Full Humboldt State University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#16

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, California
#13 in overall quality

Westmont College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s film degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Westmont also took the #13 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Westmont is $28,279 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Westmont College

#17

National University

La Jolla, California

National University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#18

Pacific Union College

Angwin, California

Pacific Union College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Pacific Union College is a small school located in Angwin, California that handed out 3 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Pacific Union College is $20,083 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at PUC

#19

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#23 in overall quality

University of the Pacific landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of the Pacific is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stockton, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $48-$75k list, Pacific has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of the Pacific is $26,047 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Full Pacific Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#20

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, California

California Lutheran University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k 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 California Lutheran University is $22,493 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California Lutheran University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

With a ranking of #21, John Paul the Great Catholic University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. John Paul the Great Catholic University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Escondido, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $48-$75k list, JPCatholic has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for JPCatholic is $26,193 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Full JPCatholic Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

#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 $48-$75k ranking. Located in La Mirada, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 56 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

Biola not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $29,212 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Biola.

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 Biola

#23

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #23, California College of the Arts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California College of the Arts is a small school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 26 bachelors’s film degrees in 2019-2020.

California College of the Arts also took the #21 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $28,699 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $48-$75k 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at California College of the Arts

#24

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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. 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. The estimated yearly cost for Pepperdine is $31,918 for California Bachelor’s Degree Film students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Pepperdine

#25

Chapman University

Orange, California

Chapman University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Orange, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 158 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2019-2020.

Chapman also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $36,041 for california bachelor’s degree film students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Chapman.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full Chapman Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

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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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