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2023 Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in California

14 Ranked Colleges
744 Degrees Awarded
$30,262 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master's

When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 California, there were 4,258 film, video and photographic arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,500 and $27,453 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s” ranking looked at 14 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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 offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.

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, veteran affordability, and veteran population. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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.

Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s”.

Top 14 Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in California

1
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 143 masters’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.According to our most recent data, USC supports 46,287 students, and 1,311 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 862 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,487. To help with additional expenses, 388 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 9 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Southern California Veteran Student Life Report

2
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Out of the 14 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Loyola Marymount University landed the #2 spot on the list. Loyola Marymount is a fairly large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 35 masters’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

Loyola Marymount also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5.Of the 9,686 students enrolled at Loyola Marymount University, 15 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,741. In addition to receiving other benefits, 6 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Loyola Marymount University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 97 masters’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of California - Los Angeles supports 44,589 students, and 7 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,071. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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.

Read More…

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 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized private for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 65 masters’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying film list, Academy of Art University has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.According to our most recent data, Academy of Art University supports 8,928 students, and 1,287 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,016 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,275. During this same period, 257 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at Academy of Art University]](/colleges/academy-of-art-university/student-life/veterans/)

5
National University crest
National University
La Jolla, California

Out of the 14 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, National University landed the #5 spot on the list. National University is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying film list, National University has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Among the 18,070 students enrolled at National University, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. National University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

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

Read More…

6
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s list. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 9 masters’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Of the 27,349 students enrolled at SFSU, 950 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 536 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,581. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Full SFSU Veteran Student Life Report

7
MSMU crest
Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, California

Mount Saint Mary’s University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s film degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

MSMU also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8.Our most recent data shows that 12 of the 2,745 students enrolled at Mount Saint Mary’s University were GI Bill® students, of which 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,275. On top of their other funding sources, 4 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Mount Saint Mary’s University Veteran Student Life Report

8
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s film degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Of the 36,334 students enrolled at San Diego State University, 1,433 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 853 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,806. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 89%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at SDSU]](/colleges/san-diego-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

9

California Institute of the Arts did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Valencia, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 36 diplomas to qualified masters’s film students in 2020-2021.

CalArts also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7.According to our most recent data, CalArts supports 1,166 students, and 18 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 11 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $21,930. During this same period, 8 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. CalArts does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 veteran student life at CalArts]](/colleges/california-institute-of-the-arts/student-life/veterans/)

10
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s ranking. Chapman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Orange, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 79 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Chapman did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 9,761 students enrolled at Chapman were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Chapman University Veteran Student Life Report

11
New York Film Academy crest
New York Film Academy
Burbank, California

With a ranking of #11, New York Film Academy did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s list. Burbank, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out masters’s film degrees to 145 students in 2020-2021.

New York Film Academy also took the #15 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Among the 1,271 students enrolled at New York Film Academy, 21 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,267. In addition to receiving other benefits, 11 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national 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 New York Film Academy Veteran Student Life Report

12
Art Center College of Design crest
Art Center College of Design
Pasadena, California

Art Center College of Design came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s ranking. Art Center College of Design is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 masters’s film degrees to qualified students.

Art Center College of Design also took the #12 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Among the 2,182 students enrolled at Art Center College of Design, 22 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 13 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,266. During this same period, 6 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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

Read More…

13
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s ranking. SSU is located in Rohnert Park, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 masters’s film degrees to qualified students.

SSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Of the 8,018 students enrolled at Sonoma State University, 145 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 64 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,268. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at SSU]](/colleges/sonoma-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

14
1 GI Bill® Students**
#6 in overall quality

American Film Institute Conservatory came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Film for a Master’s ranking. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 73 masters’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

American Film Institute also took the #6 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.According to our most recent data, American Film Institute supports 337 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

[Read full report on veteran student life at American Film Institute]](/colleges/american-film-institute-conservatory/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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