Best Film Schools Near Ridgecrest, CA (2026)

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

Ridgecrest, California has 3 accredited schools offering film programs, with tuition ranging from $1,438 to $20,730 per year for indexed programs. Ridgecrest has a population of about 28,138. Median household income is $88,107 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning film-related role is Special Effects Artists and Animators at a median $130,540 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Ridgecrest

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

Valencia, CA 99.7 miles from Ridgecrest
  • 4 year
38.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,198
Avg net price $46,080/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA 104.5 miles from Ridgecrest
  • 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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#3

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, CA 105.3 miles from Ridgecrest
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,958
Avg net price $48,661/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Woodbury University

Burbank, CA 105.6 miles from Ridgecrest
  • 4 year
48.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,668
Avg net price $33,692/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA 105.7 miles from Ridgecrest
  • 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

#6

Occidental College

Los Angeles, CA 108.5 miles from Ridgecrest
  • 4 year
63.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,951
Avg net price $38,263/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

New York Film Academy

Burbank, CA 109.1 miles from Ridgecrest
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $29,633
Avg net price $39,011/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Los Angeles Valley College

Valley Glen, CA 109.4 miles from Ridgecrest
  • 4 year
42.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,678
Avg net price $12,152/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 67

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 Ridgecrest

Ridgecrest is part of the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area (BLS area code 12540). 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 $88,490 CA statewide $87,701
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $106,900 CA statewide $105,946
Producers and Directors $92,510 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $91,685
Special Effects Artists and Animators $130,540 CA statewide $129,376
Audio and Video Technicians $54,690 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $54,202
Sound Engineering Technicians $78,150 CA statewide $77,453
Writers and Authors $73,600 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $72,944
Graphic Designers $61,970 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $61,417

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.

Ridgecrest at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 28,138 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $88,107 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 31.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Ridgecrest-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Ridgecrest, CA?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering film programs near Ridgecrest. The closest is Porterville College in Porterville, CA (81.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California Institute of the Arts (99.7 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Ridgecrest?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Ridgecrest are: Special Effects Artists and Animators ($130,540), Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film ($106,900), Producers and Directors ($92,510). 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 Barstow instead of Ridgecrest?

Barstow, CA is 63.3 miles from Ridgecrest 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 Ridgecrest an affordable place to study film?

Ridgecrest’s median household income of $88,107 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ridgecrest 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 Ridgecrest

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

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)