Bachelor's · San Francisco, California
Is Film/Video and Photographic Arts at San Francisco State University worth it?
High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 7.7 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $35,089
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $50,644
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $15,305
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $42k (likely $42k – $58k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $11k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in CA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 7.7 years (likely 6.3–9.9)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$136k (likely −$206k – −$98k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $11k (likely −$90k – $108k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 50%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 10%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
Change income, residency or loans Compare Film/Video and Photographic Arts at other schools
🎨 Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward art, design & performance majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP 2-D Art and Design
- AP Drawing
- AP Art History
- AP Music Theory
IB Higher Level
- Visual Arts HL
- Music HL or Theatre HL or Film HL
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at San Francisco State University
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral)$157,979
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's)$152,207
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)$150,102
- Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Post-baccalaureate certificate)$136,839
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$131,094
- Biology, General (Master's)$128,052
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)$112,454
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's)$109,935
- Public Administration (Master's)$108,093
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$105,166
- Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's)$102,104
- Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's)$96,854
Film/Video and Photographic Arts at other schools in California
- University of California-Berkeley$70,963
- Chapman University$66,494
- Loyola Marymount University$61,500
- University of Southern California$58,623
- University of California-Davis$57,999
- University of California-Riverside$52,699
- University of California-Irvine$51,423
- University of California-Los Angeles$50,904
- Woodbury University$50,387
- Art Center College of Design$49,933