[Media Arts](/majors/communication-journalism-media/radio-television-digital-communication/media-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 17 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for media arts students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the media arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis earned the #1 spot for value among media arts schools in Indiana. Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis is a very large public school located in the city of Indianapolis. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,762, with out-of-state students paying around $34,891. Students borrow a median of $22,959 to complete the media arts program here. Early-career media arts graduates make about $28,508. That is a strong return on a $22,959 median debt. The acceptance rate is 76%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Indiana University South Bend earned it the #2 place for media arts. Set in the city of South Bend, Indiana University South Bend is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,424 in tuition and fees, compared with $22,811 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $22,625. Media Arts graduates of Indiana University South Bend earn a median of $30,190 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 84%.
A rank of #3 makes Purdue University Global one of the best values for media arts. Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Global is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,101, compared with $14,412 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $46,125 to complete the media arts program here. Media Arts graduates of Purdue University Global earn a median of $48,015 early in their careers. Set against $46,125 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #4 makes Ball State University one of the best values for media arts. Ball State University is a very large public school located in the city of Muncie. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,082, with out-of-state students paying around $29,630. Students borrow a median of $23,443 to complete the media arts program here. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from Ball State University generally make around $39,676. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Butler University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in media arts, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Butler University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $47,560. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $25,351 in student loans. Early-career media arts graduates make about $68,222. That is a strong return on a $25,351 median debt. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 17 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
