Here we will show you how much money you will spend on going to film school’s and how long you will likely be in stuck in a stressful battle of debt. This is not a scenario. These are real world issues.

Los Angeles Film School:

🎓 Tuition & Fees (Domestic/U.S. Students)

According to the school’s current published tuition schedule, here are approximate total costs for some key programs (effective March 2025 pricing):

🎬 Film & Media Degrees

• Film Production, Bachelor of Science: ~$95,000 total tuition & fees for the full degree (about 120 credits).

• Film, Associate of Science: ~$46,650 total.

• Entertainment Business, Bachelor of Science: ~$70,300 total.

• Audio Production (BS): ~$96,000 total; Audio or Music Associate degrees: ~$46,000–$47,000.

• Animation Bachelor’s: ~$97,350 total.

These totals include tuition, technology fees, and required kits (like cameras or software) but do not include living expenses.

🏠 Cost of Living

The school also estimates indirect monthly living costs while attending (housing, food, transportation, etc.):

• Off-campus: ~$4,300 per month

• With parent/guardian: ~$3,075 per month
  These are not charged by the school but are realistic personal expenses to budget.

💰 Total Cost of Attendance

So if you’re studying a full bachelor’s program and living in Los Angeles:

• Tuition/fees ~$90k–$100k+, plus living expenses (rent, food, transportation), which can easily add another $20k–$40k+ per year depending on lifestyle and whether you live with roommates or with family.

📌 Things to Consider

• The Los Angeles Film School is a for-profit institution, and some students and industry professionals have criticized its cost relative to outcomes. Some online reviews allege issues with job placement and value compared to other programs.

• There was also a lawsuit alleging misleading employment data and difficulty finding work after graduation (the school disputes the claims).

• Alternative paths — like community college courses, workshops, internships, or hands-on crew experience — are often significantly cheaper and valued by people in the industry.

🧮 Bottom Line

• Associate degree: ~$45k–$50k tuition/fees

• Bachelor’s degree: ~$90k–$100k+ tuition/fees

• Living costs: add thousands per semester/term depending on your situation

Full Sail University

🎬 Undergraduate Film Program (Bachelor’s Degree)

📍 On-Campus (Winter Park, Florida)

• Bachelor of Science in Film — ≈ $88,000 total tuition & fees for the full degree (spread over roughly 3 academic years).

  • This “total” includes all tuition, supplies, lab fees, textbooks, production materials, and the Project LaunchBox tech package.

🎓 Full Sail’s programs are accelerated, meaning you may finish faster than at a traditional university — so the time span is shorter, but the intensity and weekly workload tend to be higher than a typical 4-year program.

💻 Online Alternatives

• Full Sail also offers online programs (not strictly film but related media/production degrees), ranging around $65,000–$71,000 total tuition depending on the program.

🛠 Other Degree Options

Even within the same campus structure, similar creative degrees (like Digital Arts, Media Communications, Audio, etc.) also run in about the $86,000–$89,000 range for a bachelor’s.

🏙 Living Costs (Estimate)

Full Sail doesn’t operate student housing — you’ll need to budget separately for where you live if you attend on-campus:

• Off-campus living (rent, utilities, food): can add roughly $20,000–$28,000 per year (varies by housing choice and lifestyle).

• Books & supplies: around $500–$1,000/year (relatively low because most tech is included).

Note: These living cost figures are based on general local cost estimates for students in the Winter Park/Orlando area and are not charged by Full Sail itself.

🎓 Master’s Film Options

If you were thinking about graduate study instead of a bachelor’s:

• MFA in Film Production: ~$36,000 total (about 12 months).

🧾 What’s Included vs. Not

✔ Included in tuition:
• All tuition & fees
• Technology kit (Project LaunchBox)
• Software & course supplies
✔ Not included:
• Housing/rent
• Food & transportation
• Health insurance or personal costs

🧠 Bottom Line – Rough Total Cost Estimate

Here’s what a typical undergrad film student might realistically budget:

Expense CategoryEstimated CostTuition & fees (Bachelor of Science in Film)~$88,000 Living expenses (2–3 years)$40,000–$80,000 Books & supplies~$1,500–$3,000

Estimated total cost to graduate: ~$130,000–$170,000+

Actual totals vary based on living arrangements, financial aid/scholarships, and how fast you complete the program.

🧠 Considerations Before You Decide

• Full Sail is a for-profit university, which means costs are high but resources are bundled. Some students view the accelerated pace and industry focus as a benefit, while critics point out that credits often don’t transfer easily and careers aren’t guaranteed just based on the degree. (Online discussions reflect a wide range of student experiences.)

• Scholarships, grants, and federal financial aid can significantly reduce your out-of-pocket expenses — including merit scholarships up to several thousand dollars. Make sure to check eligibility.

USC Film School

🎓 Undergraduate (Bachelor’s Degree in Film)

💸 Tuition & Fees (Academics Only)

USC charges a flat tuition rate per semester for full-time undergraduates. For the 2025-26 academic year:

• Tuition (per academic year – Fall + Spring): about $73,260

• Mandatory fees: approximately $1,902
  (These rates run the same for both in-state and out-of-state students.)

🏠 Cost of Attendance (Includes Living Expenses)

USC also estimates total attendance costs (tuition + housing + food + books + personal expenses). For a typical undergrad year:

Expense Type Estimated 2025-26 Cost Tuition + fees~$75,000Housing (on/off-campus)~$12,879Food/meal plan~$8,028Books & supplies~$650Personal/misc.~$2,006Transportation~$414Total (on/off campus)~$99,000–$100,000 per year Total if living with parents~$86,500

💡 Freshmen also pay a one-time new student fee (~$450).

📌 These totals are estimates used for financial aid eligibility. Your actual expenses can be more or less depending on lifestyle, housing choices, and travel.

📆 So What Does That Mean for a 4-Year Degree?

If costs stayed roughly the same each year (they typically go up a bit every year), you might expect:

• Tuition + fees alone: ~$73,000 × 4 ≈ ~$292,000

• Total Cost of Attendance (including living): ~$350,000+ over four years without financial aid

🔹 This is why many students rely on scholarships, grants, work-study, or family support to make it affordable. Nearly two-thirds of USC students receive some form of financial aid.

🎥 Graduate (Master’s) Programs in Film

If you’re considering graduate film programs (like an MFA), tuition is typically assessed per unit rather than flat rate:

• Graduate film/production tuition: about $2,624 per unit

• Most master’s programs require ~18–24 units per year, so one year of tuition might total ~$49,000–$66,000 before living costs.

📌 Additional costs (housing, food, supplies) are separate and can add roughly $20,000–$30,000+ per year depending on your housing choice.

🧠 Financial Aid & Scholarships

USC has one of the largest financial aid programs in the U.S.:

• Many undergraduates receive grants, merit scholarships, and loans.

• Families with typical U.S. incomes under certain levels may qualify for substantial need-based aid — in some cases even reducing tuition to $0 for eligible students.

• The School of Cinematic Arts also offers department-specific scholarships (often $1,000–$25,000+).

💡 Financial aid can dramatically lower your actual net cost compared with the published sticker price.

🧾 Quick Takeaways

• USC’s Cinematic Arts is very prestigious, but also one of the more expensive film schools in the country.

• Sticker tuition alone for undergrads is about $73,000/year (same for all students).

• Total cost including living expenses can approach $100,000/year or more.

• Over four years, the full cost can easily be $300,000–$400,000+ without aid.

• Scholarships and financial aid can reduce what you personally pay quite a bit — sometimes by tens of thousands per year.

UCLA Film School

🎓 Undergraduate (Bachelor’s in Film)

💸 Tuition & Fees (Academics Only)

• California resident tuition + campus fees: approximately $15,700 per year.

• Non-resident (out-of-state/international) supplemental tuition: ~$35,600 extra per year, on top of the base.

So, total academic tuition per year might be:

• In-state (CA resident): ~$15,700

• Out-of-state/non-resident: ~$51,300 total tuition & fees (base + supplemental)

🏠 Total Cost of Attendance (Includes Living Expenses)

UCLA estimates a full “cost of attendance” for budgeting (tuition plus housing, meals, books, transportation, and health insurance):

California Residents

• On-campus: about $43,000-$45,000 per year

• Off-campus: about $44,000-$45,000 per year

• Commuter: about $35,000 per year

Non-Residents (Out-of-State/International)

• On-campus: about $80,000-$83,000 per year

• Off-campus: similar ballpark (~$82,000)

• Commuter: ~$73,000

These totals include typical living costs like housing, food, books, transportation, and required health insurance but can vary based on lifestyle and housing choices.

📅 4-Year Degree Totals

If costs stayed roughly the same each year:

• In-state student total: ~$170,000-$180,000 (tuition + living)

• Out-of-state student total: ~$300,000-$330,000+ over 4 years

These are approximate budget estimates — individual bills may differ, especially with scholarships/aid.

🎬 Graduate (MFA / Master’s)

Graduate film programs also have their own cost structure (tuition + fees + living expenses). UCLA’s cost of attendance for grad students (not film-specific but indicative) shows:

• Estimated cost for CA resident grad students (tuition + housing/etc): ~$57,780 per year

• Non-resident total: ~$72,882 per year

This budget includes tuition, fees, housing, food, books, transportation, and health insurance — though exact program tuition amounts vary by degree.

💰 Financial Aid & Scholarships

Most students at UCLA receive some form of financial aid (grants, scholarships, loans, work-study). Many California residents pay far less than the published sticker price if they qualify for need-based aid. Applying for FAFSA/CA Dream Act by March is critical for aid consideration.

📌 Quick Summary

Student TypeTuition Only (per year)Estimated Full Cost (tuition + living)CA Resident Undergrad~$15,700~$43k–$45kOut-of-State Undergrad~$51,300~$73k–$83kGrad Student (CA resident)~$14k+ (varies by program)~$58kGrad Student (Non-resident)higher~$73k+

🧠 Bottom Line

• UCLA Film School is much cheaper than many private film programs— especially if you’re a California resident — but it still involves significant expenses when living costs are included.

• Out-of-state or international students see a big jump in cost because of the supplemental tuition.

• Financial aid can significantly lower what you personally pay compared with the “sticker price.”

Word of the Wise

One year I was working on the Telenovela’s in San Diego. I was the Gaffer on White Unit (second unit). On one of my days off I went to the film studio (Stu Segall Productions) and walked onto Stage 1 where they crew was setting up for one of the shows called, “Fashion House” starring Bo Derrick. The set was that of a fashion runway jetting out the center with what looked like video screens on either side of the catwalk. I noticed these “video walls” so I walked behind the set and saw they had rigged 4k video projectors. Come to find out later, they were going to use these video projectors to rear project images onto the video screens. Well, I knew of a more cost effective alternative and would look much better than what they were attempting to do.

I approached the Production Designer and told him my idea. He loved it. Then I went to the UPM, and she absolutely loved the idea. My last stop was the Director of Photography, Thomas Jewitt. (The Wise man in this true story). Tommy loved it as well!

The scenic crew took down the projector’s and I installed my automated lighting, which then consisted of Martin Mac Entour’s.

The look I was hoping for paid off! The overall look was much more intense than what the Production Designer had planned and was very grateful that I worked the appropriate channels and gotten in approved.

Here comes my point to all of this. As I was setting up my lighting console, I asked a question to Tommy (a seasoned Veteran Director of Photography), “Hey man, I was thinking about leaving San Diego to go to film school. What are your thoughts?” He quickly responded to me as if I were crazy for even asking him that question. He said, “Why in the world would you want to go spend money, put yourself into debt learning the stuff you already know and will continue to learn? Does it not make sense to continue working on real TV shows, Film sets and get paid for it? Get paid to learn?” He had a very valid point.

Working on the Telenovela’s that year-2006 I believe-I worked a total of about 5 months (being on second team was not a full time gig). With that being said, I made just over $86k.

So what sounds good to you? Spending upwards of $400k for 4 years or spending $3k (before discounts) for 6 weeks and ready to be on a set almost immediately? Financing is available.

Feel free to email us for any and all questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Mike Logan CEO/Founder Kraft Works Productions