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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Illinois

4 Colleges in the United States
643 Film, Video & Photographic Arts Degrees Awarded
$45,241 Avg Early-Career Salary

Film, Video & Photographic Arts is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. The schools below stand out for the quality of their film, video & photographic arts programs.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for film, video & photographic arts students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Film, Video & Photographic Arts in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall film, video & photographic arts education in Illinois.

Top Schools in Film, Video & Photographic Arts

1

No school ranked higher than University Of Chicago this year for film, video & photographic arts. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 96%. About 16 film, video & photographic arts degrees were awarded at University Of Chicago in the most recent year. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of University Of Chicago earn a median of $81,002 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $15,854. See the full film, video & photographic arts program report for University Of Chicago

2
Depaul University crest
Depaul University
Chicago, IL

Depaul University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in film, video & photographic arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 68%. There were roughly 304 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Depaul University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the film, video & photographic arts program make about $25,028 in their early career. Depaul University graduates carry a median of $24,717 in student loans. Read more about the film, video & photographic arts program at Depaul University

3

Columbia College Chicago is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in film, video & photographic arts, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. About 52% of students finish within six years. Columbia College Chicago awarded about 323 film, video & photographic arts degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, film, video & photographic arts degree recipients from Columbia College Chicago generally make around $29,694. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from Columbia College Chicago

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Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 15 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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