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2026 Best Value Documentary Production Schools in Illinois

[Documentary Production](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/film-video-and-photographic-arts/documentary-production/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong documentary production education at a price that pays off.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for documentary production students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Documentary Production Schools in Illinois

2026 Best Value Documentary Production Schools in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in documentary production, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Documentary Production Schools

1

Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL

$34,088 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,000 Avg Student Debt

$42,195 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Columbia College Chicago, our #1 best value for documentary production in Illinois. Set in the city of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $34,088. Documentary Production graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Early-career documentary production graduates make about $29,694. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Columbia College Chicago admits about 90% of applicants.

2

Depaul University
Chicago, IL

$45,405 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,717 Avg Student Debt

$68,751 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes Depaul University one of the best values for documentary production. Located in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,405. Students borrow a median of $24,717 to complete the documentary production program here. Early-career documentary production graduates make about $55,226. That is a strong return on a $24,717 median debt. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.

View All Documentary Production Rankings >

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 · 3 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.