[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 10 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for media arts students.
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Featured Media Arts Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in media arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Leading the list is University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, our #1 best value for media arts in North Carolina. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the city of Chapel Hill. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,994, while out-of-state students pay about $41,203. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $15,117. Media Arts graduates of University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn a median of $61,361 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,117 median debt. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill admits about 15% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes High Point University one of the best values for media arts. Located in the city of High Point, High Point University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $45,312 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $23,785 to complete the media arts program here. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from High Point University generally make around $113,352. Set against $23,785 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 75%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Elon University earned it the #3 place for media arts. Set in the suburb of Elon, Elon University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $46,958. Students borrow a median of $22,196 to complete the media arts program here. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from Elon University generally make around $31,295. That is a strong return on a $22,196 median debt. The acceptance rate is 66%.
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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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
