2026 Best Value Documentary Production Schools in New York
[Documentary Production](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/film-video-and-photographic-arts/documentary-production/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
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:
2026 Best Value Documentary Production Schools in New York
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the documentary production degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Documentary Production Schools
For return on investment in documentary production, no school beat Ithaca College this year. Ithaca College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Ithaca. Students from in state pay about $52,616 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the documentary production program here. Soon after graduation, documentary production degree recipients from Ithaca College generally make around $23,782. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
Syracuse University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value documentary production schools. Located in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $65,528 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the documentary production program here. Documentary Production graduates of Syracuse University earn a median of $54,785 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 46% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in documentary production will find it at The New School, which ranked #3. Located in the city of New York, The New School is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $58,730. Students borrow a median of $25,829 to complete the documentary production program here. Early-career documentary production graduates make about $21,523. Set against $25,829 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 64% of applicants are accepted.
More Documentary Production Rankings
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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 · 3 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.
