Best Film Schools Near Lincoln, CA (2026)

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

Lincoln, California has 5 accredited schools offering film programs, with tuition ranging from $1,288 to $22,945 per year for indexed programs. Lincoln has a population of about 51,629. Median household income is $108,108 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning film-related role is Producers and Directors at a median $129,790 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Lincoln

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer film programs near Lincoln, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lincoln 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 Lincoln. 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

California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento, CA 22.9 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 94%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,876
Avg net price $9,338/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,018
Out‑of‑state$20,618
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 78

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

#2

University of California-Davis

Davis, CA 33.7 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
90.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 42%
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,838
Avg net price $14,741/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,774
Out‑of‑state$50,974
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 153

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

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#3

Solano Community College

Fairfield, CA 62.9 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,170
Avg net price $4,669/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Pacific Union College

Angwin, CA 65.3 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,484
Avg net price $41,008/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA 83.3 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,986
Avg net price $12,885/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 86.8 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,446
Avg net price $13,481/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 127

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

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#7

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA 96.1 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
20.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,008
Avg net price $40,613/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, CA 97.2 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
46.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,414
Avg net price $53,909/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 25

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 Lincoln

Lincoln is part of the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area (BLS area code 40900). 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 $63,580 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $59,588
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $84,870 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $79,541
Producers and Directors $129,790 CA statewide $121,640
Special Effects Artists and Animators $122,880 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $115,164
Audio and Video Technicians $57,600 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $53,983
Sound Engineering Technicians $63,720 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $59,719
Writers and Authors $82,690 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $77,498
Graphic Designers $74,680 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $69,991

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.

Lincoln at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 51,629 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $108,108 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 38.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 106.7 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Lincoln-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Lincoln, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near Lincoln. The closest is Sierra College in Rocklin, CA (7.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cosumnes River College (30.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Lincoln?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Lincoln are: Producers and Directors ($129,790), Special Effects Artists and Animators ($122,880), Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film ($84,870). 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 Rocklin instead of Lincoln?

Rocklin, CA is 5.2 miles from Lincoln 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 Lincoln an affordable place to study film?

Lincoln’s median household income of $108,108 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lincoln 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 Lincoln

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

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)