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University of California-Santa Cruz Film and Photography: earnings, debt & careers

Film and Photography graduates of University of California-Santa Cruz earn a median $45,815 four years after graduating ($23,614 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $16,439. That is $153 above the U.S. median for Film and Photography graduates ($45,662 across 134 colleges), and ranks 16th of 19 California colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$45,815

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

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after
$23,614

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$16,439

About 36% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,650.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$17,890 /yr

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

Sticker price $41,179. 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

Santa Cruz area$77,530
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

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 University of California-Santa Cruz, by income

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

College Scorecard

About University of California-Santa Cruz

Related majors at University of California-Santa Cruz

University of California-Santa Cruz Film and Photography questions

How much do University of California-Santa Cruz Film and Photography graduates earn?

Film and Photography graduates of University of California-Santa Cruz earn a median $45,815 four years after graduating and $23,614 one year after. The U.S. median for Film and Photography graduates across 134 colleges is $45,662.

How much debt do University of California-Santa Cruz Film and Photography graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Film and Photography graduates of University of California-Santa Cruz is $16,439, about 36% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,650.

Where does University of California-Santa Cruz rank for Film and Photography in California?

Of 19 California colleges reporting Film and Photography graduate earnings, University of California-Santa Cruz ranks 16th. 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 $77,530 in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, 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: “University of California-Santa Cruz Film and Photography: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-california-santa-cruz/majors/film-and-photography (College Scorecard and BLS data).