2026 Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Michigan

[Film, Video & Photographic Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/film-video-and-photographic-arts/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong film, video & photographic arts education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 30 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value film, video & photographic arts schools.
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2026 Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Michigan
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the film, video & photographic arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools
For return on investment in film, video & photographic arts, no school beat Oakland Community College this year. Located in the suburb of Auburn Hills, Oakland Community College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,120 in tuition and fees, compared with $5,560 for out-of-state students. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates carry a median of $15,865 in student loans. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of Oakland Community College earn a median of $43,205 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in film, video & photographic arts will find it at University Of Michigan Ann Arbor, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $18,848 in tuition and fees, compared with $63,081 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,760 to complete the film, video & photographic arts program here. Soon after graduation, film, video & photographic arts degree recipients from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor generally make around $25,565. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor admits about 16% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Wayne State University earned it the #3 place for film, video & photographic arts. Wayne State University is a very large public school located in the city of Detroit. In-state tuition and fees average $16,159, compared with $34,650 for out-of-state students. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates carry a median of $29,500 in student loans. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of Wayne State University earn a median of $55,469 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Wayne State University admits about 81% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in film, video & photographic arts will find it at Mott Community College, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Flint, Mott Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,845 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $11,460. Students borrow a median of $20,645 to complete the film, video & photographic arts program here. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of Mott Community College earn a median of $37,989 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Oakland University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value film, video & photographic arts schools. Located in the suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland University is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $17,167, compared with $24,735 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for film, video & photographic arts graduates is $27,000. Early-career film, video & photographic arts graduates make about $22,011. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Grand Valley State University landed the #6 spot for film, video & photographic arts value this year. Grand Valley State University is a very large public school located in the town of Allendale. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,502, compared with $21,894 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,899 to complete the film, video & photographic arts program here. Early-career film, video & photographic arts graduates make about $25,256. Set against $25,899 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
Western Michigan University came in at #7 for value in film, video & photographic arts this year. Located in the city of Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $15,987, while out-of-state students pay about $19,952. Typical student debt for film, video & photographic arts graduates is $27,000. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of Western Michigan University earn a median of $26,502 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 85%.
Michigan State University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value film, video & photographic arts schools. Michigan State University is a very large public school located in the city of East Lansing. Students from in state pay about $18,079 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $44,850. Students borrow a median of $25,213 to complete the film, video & photographic arts program here. Early-career film, video & photographic arts graduates make about $54,166. That is a strong return on a $25,213 median debt. The acceptance rate is 85%.
Calvin College placed #9 among the best values for film, video & photographic arts. Calvin College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Grand Rapids. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $39,350. Typical student debt for film, video & photographic arts graduates is $20,928. Soon after graduation, film, video & photographic arts degree recipients from Calvin College generally make around $15,906. Set against $20,928 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 71% of applicants are accepted.
Dsdt earned the #10 position for value in film, video & photographic arts this year. Dsdt is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Detroit. Students borrow a median of $9,830 to complete the film, video & photographic arts program here. Early-career film, video & photographic arts graduates make about $27,870.
College For Creative Studies earned the #11 position for value in film, video & photographic arts this year. Located in the city of Detroit, College For Creative Studies is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,350. Typical student debt for film, video & photographic arts graduates is $27,000. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of College For Creative Studies earn a median of $24,350 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. College For Creative Studies admits about 92% of applicants.
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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 · 30 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 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.