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Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California

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2023 Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California

18 Colleges
$25,500 Avg Salary
$27,453 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts School for You

Film, Video & Photographic Arts is the #34 most popular major in California with 773 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

The Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Grad Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 18 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California

Check out the film programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools

Our analysis found University of California - Berkeley to be the best school for film, video and photographic arts students who want to pursue a degree in California. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.

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Out of the 18 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, American Film Institute Conservatory landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, American Film Institute is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

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#3

National University

La Jolla, CA

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means National University is a great place for film, video and photographic arts students. Located in the city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

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

#4

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Mount Saint Mary’s University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, MSMU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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#5

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA

The excellent programs at Academy of Art University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best film, video and photographic arts schools in California. Located in the large city of San Francisco, Academy of Art University is a private for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Academy of Art University

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on this year’s best schools for film, video and photographic arts students. UCSB is a very large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara.

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

With a ranking of #7, University of Southern California did quite well on this year’s best schools for film, video and photographic arts students. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

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

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in California ranking. UCLA is a very large public school located in the city of Los Angeles.

Full Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of California - Los Angeles Report

#9

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA

Loyola Marymount University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best film, video and photographic arts programs. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Full Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Loyola Marymount University Report

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on this year’s best schools for film, video and photographic arts students. Located in the city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public college with a large student population.

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Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 6
Oregon 6
Nevada 3

Film, Video & Photographic Arts is one of 9 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Music 7,675
Fine & Studio Arts 3,224
Design & Applied Arts 1,979
Drama & Theater Arts 1,699
Arts & Media Management 1,184

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 18 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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.

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