[General Arts, Entertainment, & Media Management](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/arts-media-management/arts-entertainmentand-media-management-general/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general arts, entertainment, & media management students.
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Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general arts, entertainment, & media management, balancing cost against outcomes.
National University tops our 2026 list of the best value general arts, entertainment, & media management schools in California. Set in the city of San Diego, National University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $13,284 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general arts, entertainment, & media management graduates is $30,426. Early-career general arts, entertainment, & media management graduates make about $69,080. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Southern California came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value general arts, entertainment, & media management schools. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $71,647. Typical student debt for general arts, entertainment, & media management graduates is $21,250. Early-career general arts, entertainment, & media management graduates make about $26,975. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 10% of applicants are accepted.
Pepperdine University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general arts, entertainment, & media management, landing the #3 spot this year. Pepperdine University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Malibu. In-state tuition and fees average $69,918. General Arts, Entertainment, & Media Management graduates carry a median of $23,645 in student loans. Early-career general arts, entertainment, & media management graduates make about $57,582. Set against $23,645 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Pepperdine University admits about 63% of applicants.
Los Angeles Film School is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general arts, entertainment, & media management, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Hollywood, Los Angeles Film School is a moderately-sized private for-profit university. Students borrow a median of $44,250 to complete the general arts, entertainment, & media management program here. General Arts, Entertainment, & Media Management graduates of Los Angeles Film School earn a median of $18,706 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $44,250 median debt.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
