2023 Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master's Degree Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master's Degree School for You
With 3,916 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, film, video and photographic arts is the #33 most popular major in California.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
The Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master's Degree Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 16 schools in California to see which master's degree programs offered the best value experiences for film students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Featured Film Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Take the first step toward a career of visual expression and doing what you love with this online associate degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Top 10 Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Sonoma State University the best value school in California for film, video and photographic arts students working on their master’s degree. Located in the suburb of Rohnert Park, SSU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at SSU are $9,422 a year.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Sonoma State University
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The excellent master’s degree programs at Mount Saint Mary’s University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value film, video and photographic arts schools in California. MSMU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at MSMU are $13,099 a year.
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Out of the 16 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at UCLA are $13,036 a year.
UCLA not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #4 on our Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California list.
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The excellent master’s degree programs at San Francisco State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value film, video and photographic arts schools in California. SFSU is a very large public school located in the city of San Francisco.
SFSU graduate students pay an average of $8,738 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Full Film, Video & Photographic Arts at San Francisco State University Report
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The excellent master’s degree programs at National University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value film, video and photographic arts schools in California. National University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of La Jolla.
National University graduate students pay an average of $15,480 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Full Film, Video & Photographic Arts at National University Report
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San Diego State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking. SDSU is a very large public school located in the large city of San Diego.
SDSU graduate students pay an average of $9,570 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at UCSB are $13,581 a year.
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Loyola Marymount University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Loyola Marymount is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
In-state tuition fees for graduate students at Loyola Marymount are $19,922 per year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Loyola Marymount also did well on our Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Loyola Marymount University
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Academy of Art University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Academy of Art University is a moderately-sized private for-profit school located in the large city of San Francisco.
In-state tuition fees for graduate students at Academy of Art University are $28,496 per year.
Full Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Academy of Art University Report
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American Film Institute Conservatory did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for film, video and photographic arts students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. American Film Institute is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at American Film Institute are $63,575 a year.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at American Film Institute Conservatory
Request InformationBest Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 132 |
| Oregon | 167 |
| Nevada | 77 |
More Film, Video & Photographic Arts Rankings in California
Other Related Film Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Take the first step toward a career of visual expression and doing what you love with this online associate degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Film, Video & Photographic Arts Related Majors for Film
One of 10 majors within the area of study, film, video and photographic arts has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 37,413 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 36,301 |
| Music | 25,910 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 17,341 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 6,355 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 16 schools only.
- 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 the rest 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.