Film/Video and Photographic Arts programs in California
109 schools in California teach this, at certificate or associate level. 5 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $24,562 at Academy of Art University.
What this work pays in California
Producers and Directors in California earn a median of $129,790 a year across 34,110 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.
| Also leads to | Median | Jobs in California |
|---|---|---|
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | $99,410 | 9,820 |
| Film and Video Editors | $88,490 | 8,110 |
| Photographers | $47,840 | 7,980 |
| Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film | $106,900 | 4,700 |
| Communications Teachers, Postsecondary | $135,000 | 3,140 |
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Art University San Francisco | Associate's degree | $32,187 | $24,562 (61 grads) | 7 |
| California College of ASU Los Angeles | Associate's degree | $16,833 | $18,429 (72 grads) | 13 |
| San Francisco Film School San Francisco | Undergraduate certificate | — | $18,154 (12 grads) | 18 |
| Los Angeles Film School Hollywood | Associate's degree | $20,000 | $16,703 (193 grads) | 77 |
| New York Film Academy Burbank | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $16,394 (58 grads) | 82 |
| Academy of Art University San Francisco | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Allan Hancock College Santa Maria | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Allan Hancock College Santa Maria | Associate's degree | — | not published | 2 |
| American River College Sacramento | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 4 |
| American River College Sacramento | Associate's degree | — | not published | 7 |
| Barstow Community College Barstow | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Barstow Community College Barstow | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Berkeley City College Berkeley | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 4 |
| Berkeley City College Berkeley | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Butte College Oroville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 5 |
| Butte College Oroville | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Cabrillo College Aptos | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Cabrillo College Aptos | Associate's degree | — | not published | 3 |
| California College of ASU Los Angeles | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| Cerritos College Norwalk | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| Cerritos College Norwalk | Associate's degree | — | not published | 26 |
| Chabot College Hayward | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| Chabot College Hayward | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 14 |
| Citrus College Glendora | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 8 |
| Citrus College Glendora | Associate's degree | — | not published | 9 |
| City College of San Francisco San Francisco | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 21 |
| City College of San Francisco San Francisco | Associate's degree | — | not published | 13 |
| College of Marin Kentfield | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| College of San Mateo San Mateo | Associate's degree | — | not published | 4 |
| College of the Canyons Santa Clarita | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| College of the Canyons Santa Clarita | Associate's degree | — | not published | 25 |
| College of the Desert Palm Desert | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 3 |
| College of the Desert Palm Desert | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| Columbia College Sonora | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Contra Costa College San Pablo | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| Cosumnes River College Sacramento | Associate's degree | — | not published | 22 |
| Cuesta College San Luis Obispo | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| Cypress College Cypress | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| De Anza College Cupertino | Associate's degree | — | not published | 5 |
| Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 3 |
| Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill | Associate's degree | — | not published | 2 |
| Foothill College Los Altos Hills | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| Foothill College Los Altos Hills | Associate's degree | — | not published | 7 |
| Gavilan College Gilroy | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| Gavilan College Gilroy | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| Glendale Community College Glendale | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Glendale Community College Glendale | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| Grossmont College El Cajon | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 12 |
| Grossmont College El Cajon | Associate's degree | — | not published | 5 |
| Hartnell College Salinas | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| Hartnell College Salinas | Associate's degree | — | not published | 4 |
| Irvine Valley College Irvine | Associate's degree | — | not published | 2 |
| Lake Tahoe Community College South Lake Tahoe | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Las Positas College Livermore | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| Las Positas College Livermore | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| Long Beach City College Long Beach | Associate's degree | — | not published | 9 |
| Los Angeles City College Los Angeles | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 34 |
| Los Angeles City College Los Angeles | Associate's degree | — | not published | 32 |
| Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 41 |
| Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen | Associate's degree | — | not published | 38 |
| Merced College Merced | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Modesto Junior College Modesto | Associate's degree | — | not published | 6 |
| Monterey Peninsula College Monterey | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Monterey Peninsula College Monterey | Associate's degree | — | not published | 5 |
| Moorpark College Moorpark | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 8 |
| Moorpark College Moorpark | Associate's degree | — | not published | 4 |
| Mt San Jacinto Community College District San Jacinto | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Mt San Jacinto Community College District San Jacinto | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Napa Valley College Napa | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| New York Film Academy Burbank | Associate's degree | — | not published | 2 |
| Orange Coast College Costa Mesa | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 14 |
| Orange Coast College Costa Mesa | Associate's degree | — | not published | 18 |
| Pacific Union College Angwin | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| Palomar College San Marcos | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 7 |
| Palomar College San Marcos | Associate's degree | — | not published | 5 |
| Pasadena City College Pasadena | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Pasadena City College Pasadena | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Porterville College Porterville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| Porterville College Porterville | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Rio Hondo College Whittier | Associate's degree | — | not published | 3 |
| Sacramento City College Sacramento | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 4 |
| Sacramento City College Sacramento | Associate's degree | — | not published | 3 |
| Saddleback College Mission Viejo | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Saddleback College Mission Viejo | Associate's degree | — | not published | 9 |
| San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino | Associate's degree | — | not published | 3 |
| San Diego City College San Diego | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 8 |
| San Diego City College San Diego | Associate's degree | — | not published | 5 |
| San Diego Mesa College San Diego | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| San Francisco Film School San Francisco | Associate's degree | — | not published | 18 |
| San Joaquin Delta College Stockton | Associate's degree | — | not published | 4 |
| Santa Ana College Santa Ana | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| Santa Ana College Santa Ana | Associate's degree | — | not published | 2 |
| Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 3 |
| Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara | Associate's degree | — | not published | 14 |
| Santa Monica College Santa Monica | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 21 |
| Santa Monica College Santa Monica | Associate's degree | — | not published | 58 |
| Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 10 |
| Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa | Associate's degree | — | not published | 13 |
| Sierra College Rocklin | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Sierra College Rocklin | Associate's degree | — | not published | 7 |
| Southwestern College Chula Vista | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| Southwestern College Chula Vista | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| Ventura College Ventura | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 5 |
| Ventura College Ventura | Associate's degree | — | not published | 5 |
| Victor Valley College Victorville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| West Los Angeles College Culver City | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 8 |
| West Valley College Saratoga | Associate's degree | — | not published | 3 |
A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.
Email me when these figures change
The U.S. Department of Education publishes new cost, debt and earnings figures once a year, and every number on this page changes at once. One email when that happens for Film/Video and Photographic Arts — nothing else, and nothing in between.
Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.