[Media Arts](/majors/communication-journalism-media/radio-television-digital-communication/media-arts/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 52 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.
For return on investment in media arts, no school beat Alvin Community College this year. Alvin Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Alvin. In-state tuition and fees average $1,906, compared with $4,402 for out-of-state students. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $8,600 in student loans. Media Arts graduates of Alvin Community College earn a median of $55,057 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in media arts will find it at Del Mar College, which ranked #2. Del Mar College is a large public school located in the city of Corpus Christi. In-state tuition and fees average $3,500, with out-of-state students paying around $6,050. Students borrow a median of $7,476 to complete the media arts program here. Media Arts graduates of Del Mar College earn a median of $40,661 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Tulsa Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in media arts, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Tulsa, Tulsa Community College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,792 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $9,720. Students borrow a median of $15,789 to complete the media arts program here. Media Arts graduates of Tulsa Community College earn a median of $41,718 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,789 median debt.
A rank of #4 makes University Of North Texas At Dallas one of the best values for media arts. University Of North Texas At Dallas is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Dallas. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,595, with out-of-state students paying around $21,894. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The University Of Texas At El Paso earned it the #5 place for media arts. The University Of Texas At El Paso is a very large public school located in the city of El Paso. In-state tuition and fees average $9,544, with out-of-state students paying around $25,502. Students borrow a median of $21,737 to complete the media arts program here. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from The University Of Texas At El Paso generally make around $21,182. That is a strong return on a $21,737 median debt. The acceptance rate is 100%.
Rose State College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value media arts schools. Located in the suburb of Midwest City, Rose State College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,030, while out-of-state students pay about $11,407. Students borrow a median of $13,451 to complete the media arts program here. Early-career media arts graduates make about $50,860. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Francis Tuttle Technology Center landed the #7 spot for media arts value this year. Set in the city of Oklahoma City, Francis Tuttle Technology Center is a mid-sized public institution. Students borrow a median of $14,859 to complete the media arts program here. Early-career media arts graduates make about $26,570. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Arizona State University placed #8 among the best values for media arts. Set in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,223, while out-of-state students pay about $33,139. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from Arizona State University generally make around $47,160. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
University Of North Texas came in at #9 for value in media arts this year. Set in the city of Denton, University Of North Texas is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,309, with out-of-state students paying around $21,149. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $19,500. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from University Of North Texas generally make around $26,773. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Sam Houston State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value media arts schools. Set in the town of Huntsville, Sam Houston State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,228, with out-of-state students paying around $19,068. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $24,850 in student loans. Media Arts graduates of Sam Houston State University earn a median of $46,365 early in their careers. Set against $24,850 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Texas State University San Marcos landed the #11 spot for media arts value this year. Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public school located in the city of San Marcos. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,450, with out-of-state students paying around $22,930. Students borrow a median of $21,858 to complete the media arts program here. Early-career media arts graduates make about $31,977. That is a strong return on a $21,858 median debt. Texas State University San Marcos admits about 89% of applicants.
Mid Del Technology Center earned the #12 position for value in media arts this year. Mid Del Technology Center is a small public school located in the suburb of Midwest City. Graduates go on to earn a median of $33,238 ten years after entry.
The University Of Texas At Austin placed #13 among the best values for media arts. The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public school located in the city of Austin. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,688, with out-of-state students paying around $44,908. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $23,044. Early-career media arts graduates make about $27,551. Set against $23,044 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 27%.
Texas Tech University placed #14 among the best values for media arts. Set in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,852, with out-of-state students paying around $24,157. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $24,250 in student loans. Early-career media arts graduates make about $31,546. That is a strong return on a $24,250 median debt. Texas Tech University admits about 73% of applicants.
Texas A And M University College Station earned the #15 position for value in media arts this year. Located in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,995, compared with $40,124 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $18,500. Media Arts graduates of Texas A And M University College Station earn a median of $41,107 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Texas A And M University College Station admits about 57% of applicants.
West Texas A And M University landed the #16 spot for media arts value this year. West Texas A And M University is a large public school located in the town of Canyon. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,101, while out-of-state students pay about $10,996. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $17,750. Early-career media arts graduates make about $30,615. That is a strong return on a $17,750 median debt. The acceptance rate is 99%.
Saint Edwards University earned the #17 position for value in media arts this year. Located in the city of Austin, Saint Edwards University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $51,384. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $24,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from Saint Edwards University generally make around $36,708. Set against $24,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
Abilene Christian University came in at #18 for value in media arts this year. Set in the city of Abilene, Abilene Christian University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $44,200 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $23,772. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from Abilene Christian University generally make around $56,463. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Abilene Christian University admits about 66% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 52 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.
