Best Film Schools Near Fullerton, CA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Fullerton, California has 5 accredited schools offering film programs. Fullerton has a population of about 141,278. Median household income is $104,219 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning film-related role is Producers and Directors at a median $131,600 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Fullerton

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer film programs near Fullerton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Fullerton city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Fullerton. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Biola University

La Mirada, CA 5.2 miles from Fullerton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,778
Avg net price $31,495/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Chapman University

Orange, CA 7.6 miles from Fullerton
  • 4 year
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,070
Avg net price $46,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Whittier College

Whittier, CA 8.9 miles from Fullerton
  • 4 year
44.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,492
Avg net price $25,757/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA 12.7 miles from Fullerton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
86.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 46%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,403
Avg net price $10,440/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 121

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA 17.0 miles from Fullerton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
90.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,735
Avg net price $14,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,722
Out‑of‑state$49,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 134

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA 17.1 miles from Fullerton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,677
Avg net price $22,212/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

California State University-Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA 18.9 miles from Fullerton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,162
Avg net price $8,615/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,449
Out‑of‑state$20,049
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA 19.5 miles from Fullerton
  • 4 year
71.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $104,736
Avg net price $28,849/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California film page.

Film Wages Near Fullerton

Fullerton is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Film and Video Editors $83,210 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $73,248
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $107,620 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $94,736
Producers and Directors $131,600 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $115,845
Special Effects Artists and Animators $124,590 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $109,674
Audio and Video Technicians $64,900 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $57,130
Sound Engineering Technicians $77,850 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $68,530
Writers and Authors $77,250 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $68,002
Graphic Designers $72,400 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $63,732

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Fullerton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 141,278 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $104,219 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 43.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 113.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Fullerton-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Fullerton, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near Fullerton. The closest is Biola University in La Mirada, CA (5.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Long Beach City College (12.4 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Fullerton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Fullerton are: Producers and Directors ($131,600), Special Effects Artists and Animators ($124,590), Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film ($107,620). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in La Habra instead of Fullerton?

La Habra, CA is 3.3 miles from Fullerton and has its own set of local film programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Fullerton an affordable place to study film?

Fullerton’s median household income of $104,219 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fullerton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Film Programs

Other Programs Available in Fullerton

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Fullerton:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Film Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)