We report results of quantitative magnetization studies on epitaxial thin films of La0.60Y0.07Ca0.33MnO3−&dgr;and La1−x&laplac;xMnO3−&dgr;, with &laplac; standing for vacancy on the La site. The magnetization in all samples shows significant field dependent broadening of the ferromagnetic transition. Classical mean‐field analysis of magnetization data in applied fields above a few Tesla leads to a magnetic cluster size of the order of a few unit cells. The density of such a magnetic cluster correlates with the doping concentrationxin the compound series La1−x&laplac;xMnO3−&dgr;. In thin films of La0.60Y0.07Ca0.33MnO3−&dgr;, a magnetic field dependent, non‐Curie–Weiss susceptibility was found in the paramagnetic state, indicating local ferromagnetic cluster formation above macroscopic ferromagnetic ordering temperature. ©1996 American Institute of Physics.