by our College Data Analytics Team
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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2021-2022, 17,626 people earned their degree in film, video & photographic arts, making the major the 62nd most popular in the United States. In , film, video & photographic arts graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $24,396 and had an average of $31,569 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 4,479 film, video & photographic arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,256 and $45,016 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,805 film, video & photographic arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,904 and $19,503 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California” ranking, we looked at 42 colleges that offer a degree in film, video & photographic arts. That schools that top this list have a program in film, video & photographic arts in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California” list to help you make the college decision.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree film students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia College Hollywood. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California. Located in Tarzana, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 125 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2021-2022.
Full Columbia College Hollywood Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Los Angeles Film School. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. LA Film School is a medium-sized school located in Hollywood, California that handed out 211 bachelors’s film degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New York Film Academy. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California. New York Film Academy is located in Burbank, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 122 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at New York Film Academy
Out of the 42 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Woodbury University landed the #5 spot on the list. Burbank, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s film degrees to 43 students in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California Institute of the Arts came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. Valencia, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s film degrees to 21 students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Art Center College of Design landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. Art Center College of Design is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 47 bachelors’s film degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national 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.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Art Center College of Design
With a ranking of #8, Occidental College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. Occidental College is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 22 bachelors’s film degrees in 2021-2022.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Occidental College
Academy of Art University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized private for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 72 bachelors’s film degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Academy of Art University
California College of the Arts did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking, coming in at #10. San Francisco, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s film degrees to 41 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Full California College of the Arts Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Biola University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. Located in La Mirada, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 75 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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%.
Chapman University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. Located in Orange, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 211 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Chapman University
San Francisco State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s film degrees to 226 students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at San Francisco State University
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 172 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.
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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Riverside landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 206 bachelors’s film degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of California - Riverside
Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking, coming in at #16. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s film degrees to 71 students in 2021-2022.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Loyola Marymount University
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 164 degrees to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of California - Santa Barbara
Mount Saint Mary’s University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s film degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Full Mount Saint Mary’s University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking, coming in at #20. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 197 bachelors’s film degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at California State University - Long Beach
With a ranking of #21, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 175 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, 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 93%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of California - Irvine
Humboldt State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s film degrees to 18 students in 2021-2022.
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 full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Humboldt State University
University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking, coming in at #23. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 178 bachelors’s film degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad 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 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.
Full University of Southern California Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
La Sierra University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. La Sierra is located in Riverside, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s film degrees to qualified students.
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%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at La Sierra
California Baptist University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 27 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s film students in 2021-2022.
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%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Cal Baptist
Read more about our data sources and methodologies