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2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California

19 Ranked Colleges
752 Degrees Awarded
$30,262 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Film Major in California

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 752 film, video & photographic arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $63,735 and $51,649 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered 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.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most 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.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California”.

Top 19 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts in California

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Film Institute Conservatory. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. American Film Institute Conservatory is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 77 masters’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full American Film Institute Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

2
New York Film Academy crest
New York Film Academy
Burbank, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend New York Film Academy. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. This small school is located in Burbank, California, and it awarded 144 masters’s film degrees 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at New York Film Academy

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of the Arts. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. Located in Valencia, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 31 degrees to qualified masters’s film students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The 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%.

Full California Institute of the Arts Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

4
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Academy of Art University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California. This medium-sized school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 54 masters’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Academy of Art University

5
Art Center College of Design crest
Art Center College of Design
Pasadena, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Art Center College of Design. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. Art Center College of Design is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 10 masters’s film degrees to qualified students.

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. 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%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Art Center College of Design

6
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking, coming in at #6. Chapman University is a fairly large school located in Orange, California that handed out 95 masters’s film degrees 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

7
California College of the Arts crest
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, California

California College of the Arts did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. California College of the Arts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 8 masters’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad 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

8
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #8, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s film degrees to 53 students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Loyola Marymount University

9
MSMU crest
Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #9, Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 14 masters’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

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 Mount Saint Mary’s University

10
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 135 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

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

11

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 88 masters’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

12
National University crest
National University
San Diego, California

National University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 12 masters’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full National University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

13
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

With a ranking of #13, Stanford University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 6 masters’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

14
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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

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

15
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking, coming in at #15. This medium-sized school is located in Rohnert Park, California, and it awarded 0 masters’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

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

16
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 7 masters’s film degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

17

With a ranking of #17, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s film degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.

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

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

18

With a ranking of #18, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California list. University of California - Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 8 masters’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 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%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

18

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Film Major in California ranking, coming in at #18. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s film degrees to 1 students 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%.

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

Notes and References

References

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