Best Film Schools Near Hayward, CA (2026)

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

Hayward, California has 5 accredited schools offering film programs. Hayward has a population of about 159,201. Median household income is $113,775 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning film-related role is Special Effects Artists and Animators at a median $136,770 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Hayward

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer film programs near Hayward, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Hayward 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 Hayward. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Sort:
#1

Chabot College

Hayward, CA 1.7 miles from Hayward
  • 2 year
46.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,143
Avg net price $9,053/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Film Wages Near Hayward

Hayward is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). 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 $109,930 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $95,095
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $98,500 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $85,208
Producers and Directors $130,640 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $113,010
Special Effects Artists and Animators $136,770 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $118,313
Audio and Video Technicians $75,540 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $65,346
Sound Engineering Technicians $94,990 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $82,171
Writers and Authors $86,480 CA statewide $74,810
Graphic Designers $92,050 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $79,628

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.

Hayward at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 159,201 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $113,775 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 32.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 115.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Hayward-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Hayward, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near Hayward. The closest is Chabot College in Hayward, CA (1.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Foothill College (18.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Hayward?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Hayward are: Special Effects Artists and Animators ($136,770), Producers and Directors ($130,640), Film and Video Editors ($109,930). 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 Union City instead of Hayward?

Union City, CA is 3.8 miles from Hayward 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 Hayward an affordable place to study film?

Hayward’s median household income of $113,775 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hayward 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 Hayward

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

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)