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California Institute of the Arts Film and Photography: earnings, debt & careers

Film and Photography graduates of California Institute of the Arts earn a median $29,426 four years after graduating ($28,247 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $27,000. That is $16,236 below the U.S. median for Film and Photography graduates ($45,662 across 134 colleges), and ranks 19th of 19 California colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$29,426

U.S. median for this major: $45,662.

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after
$28,247

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$27,000

About 92% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,650.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$46,080 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $77,560. College Scorecard.

Film and Photography at California colleges

Every California college we cover that reports Film and Photography graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of California-Berkeley$70,963$15,693$13,48193%
2Chapman University$66,494$19,123$46,55582%
3Loyola Marymount University$61,500$23,250$48,38179%
4University of Southern California$58,623$21,687$32,74092%
5University of California-Davis$57,999$18,000$14,74186%
6University of California-Riverside$52,699$20,500$14,30476%
7University of California-Irvine$51,423$16,300$14,25187%
8University of California-Los Angeles$50,904$19,000$12,54893%
9Woodbury University$50,387$27,000$33,69260%
10Art Center College of Design$49,933$31,000$48,66179%
11University of California-Santa Barbara$49,893$15,000$16,10983%
12San Francisco State University$47,149$17,850$12,27850%
13Mount Saint Mary's University$47,091$27,000$21,41353%
14California State University-Northridge$46,913$18,266$7,02157%
15California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt$46,245$23,162$13,17149%
16University of California-Santa Cruz$45,815$16,439$17,89075%
17California State University-Sacramento$42,392$16,205$9,33856%
18John Paul the Great Catholic University$35,917$26,925$34,66664%
19California Institute of the Arts$29,426$27,000$46,08067%

17 more California colleges offer Film and Photography but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Film and Photography graduates

Producers and Directors

Los Angeles area$131,600
California$129,790
U.S.$90,360

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +4.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Film and Video Editors

Los Angeles area$83,210
California$88,490
U.S.$75,420

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.7% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at California Institute of the Arts, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About California Institute of the Arts

Related majors at California Institute of the Arts

  • Studio Art$28,617
  • Theatre$41,192
  • Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
  • Arts and Entertainment Management—

California Institute of the Arts Film and Photography questions

How much do California Institute of the Arts Film and Photography graduates earn?

Film and Photography graduates of California Institute of the Arts earn a median $29,426 four years after graduating and $28,247 one year after. The U.S. median for Film and Photography graduates across 134 colleges is $45,662.

How much debt do California Institute of the Arts Film and Photography graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Film and Photography graduates of California Institute of the Arts is $27,000, about 92% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,650.

Where does California Institute of the Arts rank for Film and Photography in California?

Of 19 California colleges reporting Film and Photography graduate earnings, California Institute of the Arts ranks 19th. The highest is University of California-Berkeley at $70,963.

What jobs do Film and Photography graduates get?

A common career is producers and directors, with a median wage of $131,600 in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area and $90,360 nationally. Others include film and video editors.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “California Institute of the Arts Film and Photography: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/california-institute-of-the-arts/majors/film-and-photography (College Scorecard and BLS data).