by our College Data Analytics Team
[Film Studies](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/film-video-and-photographic-arts/film-studies/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong film studies education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for film studies students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in film studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Yale University earned the #1 spot for value among film studies schools in Connecticut. Yale University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New Haven. In-state tuition and fees average $67,250. Students borrow a median of $14,357 to complete the film studies program here. Early-career film studies graduates make about $74,578. Set against $14,357 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Yale University admits about 4% of applicants.
Wesleyan University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in film studies, landing the #2 spot this year. Wesleyan University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Middletown. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $70,042. Typical student debt for film studies graduates is $16,125. Soon after graduation, film studies degree recipients from Wesleyan University generally make around $39,764. That is a strong return on a $16,125 median debt. Wesleyan University admits about 16% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Hartford one of the best values for film studies. University Of Hartford is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of West Hartford. Students from in state pay about $49,075 in tuition and fees. Film Studies graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career film studies graduates make about $17,521. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 96%.
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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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.