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2026 Best Value Film Studies Schools in District of Columbia

[Film Studies](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/film-video-and-photographic-arts/film-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for film studies students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Film Studies Schools in District of Columbia

2026 Best Value Film Studies Schools in District of Columbia

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in film studies, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Film Studies Schools

1

American University
Washington, DC

$58,771 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,250 Avg Student Debt

$77,370 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in film studies, no school beat American University this year. American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. In-state tuition and fees average $58,771. Typical student debt for film studies graduates is $23,250. Film Studies graduates of American University earn a median of $39,108 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.

2

Howard University
Washington, DC

$35,810 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,498 Avg Student Debt

$63,066 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes Howard University one of the best values for film studies. Howard University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,810. Typical student debt for film studies graduates is $25,498. Soon after graduation, film studies degree recipients from Howard University generally make around $58,495. Set against $25,498 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Howard University admits about 41% of applicants.

View All Film Studies Rankings >

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 · 2 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.