[Media Arts](/majors/communication-journalism-media/radio-television-digital-communication/media-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong media arts education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 38 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for media arts students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the media arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in media arts, no school beat Lewis And Clark Community College this year. Set in the suburb of Godfrey, Lewis And Clark Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,340 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,840. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $9,602 in student loans. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from Lewis And Clark Community College generally make around $41,313. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in media arts will find it at Rock Valley College, which ranked #2. Rock Valley College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Rockford. Students from in state pay about $4,334 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,379. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $9,236 in student loans. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from Rock Valley College generally make around $41,080. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in media arts will find it at University Of Michigan Flint, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Flint, University Of Michigan Flint is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $14,236 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $27,790. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $31,016. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from University Of Michigan Flint generally make around $51,692. Set against $31,016 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
College Of Dupage is a great value for students pursuing a degree in media arts, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Glen Ellyn, College Of Dupage is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $4,560 in tuition and fees, compared with $12,750 for out-of-state students. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $12,492 in student loans. Early-career media arts graduates make about $43,025. Set against $12,492 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Oakland Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in media arts, landing the #5 spot this year. Oakland Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Auburn Hills. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,120, compared with $5,560 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $15,865. Early-career media arts graduates make about $43,205. That is a strong return on a $15,865 median debt.
Northcentral Technical College ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value media arts schools. Set in the city of Wausau, Northcentral Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,889, while out-of-state students pay about $7,132. Students borrow a median of $11,709 to complete the media arts program here. Media Arts graduates of Northcentral Technical College earn a median of $41,696 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Purdue University Global came in at #7 for value in media arts this year. Purdue University Global is a very large public school located in the city of West Lafayette. Students from in state pay about $10,101 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $14,412. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $46,125. Media Arts graduates of Purdue University Global earn a median of $48,015 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Chicago landed the #8 spot for media arts value this year. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $69,324. Students borrow a median of $15,854 to complete the media arts program here. Media Arts graduates of University Of Chicago earn a median of $81,002 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,854 median debt. Roughly 4% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign came in at #9 for value in media arts this year. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,267, with out-of-state students paying around $40,096. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $20,778 in student loans. Media Arts graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $57,461 early in their careers. Set against $20,778 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign admits about 42% of applicants.
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value media arts schools. Set in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,762, compared with $34,891 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $22,959. Early-career media arts graduates make about $28,508. That is a strong return on a $22,959 median debt. The acceptance rate is 76%.
Eastern Illinois University placed #11 among the best values for media arts. Located in the town of Charleston, Eastern Illinois University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,377, while out-of-state students pay about $15,859. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $24,293. Media Arts graduates of Eastern Illinois University earn a median of $43,603 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Eastern Illinois University admits about 65% of applicants.
University Of Wisconsin Madison landed the #12 spot for media arts value this year. Set in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,603, compared with $42,103 for out-of-state students. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $21,813 in student loans. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Madison generally make around $59,877. That is a strong return on a $21,813 median debt. The acceptance rate is 45%.
University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh came in at #13 for value in media arts this year. University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh is a large public school located in the city of Oshkosh. In-state tuition and fees average $8,532, while out-of-state students pay about $16,446. Students borrow a median of $24,637 to complete the media arts program here. Media Arts graduates of University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh earn a median of $26,494 early in their careers. Set against $24,637 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh admits about 86% of applicants.
Wayne State University placed #14 among the best values for media arts. Wayne State University is a very large public school located in the city of Detroit. In-state tuition and fees average $16,159, while out-of-state students pay about $34,650. Students borrow a median of $34,019 to complete the media arts program here. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from Wayne State University generally make around $20,526. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Wayne State University admits about 81% of applicants.
Ball State University landed the #15 spot for media arts value this year. Ball State University is a very large public school located in the city of Muncie. Students from in state pay about $11,082 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $29,630. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $23,443. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from Ball State University generally make around $39,676. That is a strong return on a $23,443 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Northern Michigan University earned the #16 position for value in media arts this year. Located in the town of Marquette, Northern Michigan University is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $14,322, while out-of-state students pay about $19,944. Students borrow a median of $22,608 to complete the media arts program here. Early-career media arts graduates make about $40,508. Set against $22,608 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
Eastern Michigan University ranked #17 on our 2027 list of the best value media arts schools. Set in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,990. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $28,781 in student loans. Media Arts graduates of Eastern Michigan University earn a median of $47,887 early in their careers. Set against $28,781 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Eastern Michigan University admits about 80% of applicants.
Grand Valley State University placed #18 among the best values for media arts. Set in the town of Allendale, Grand Valley State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,502, with out-of-state students paying around $21,894. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the media arts program here. Media Arts graduates of Grand Valley State University earn a median of $24,894 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Grand Valley State University admits about 83% of applicants.
Michigan State University came in at #19 for value in media arts this year. Set in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,079, with out-of-state students paying around $44,850. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $25,213. Media Arts graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of $69,257 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Michigan State University admits about 85% of applicants.
Central Michigan University placed #20 among the best values for media arts. Central Michigan University is a large public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant. Students from in state pay about $15,480 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the media arts program here. Media Arts graduates of Central Michigan University earn a median of $29,205 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Central Michigan University admits about 90% of applicants.
Valparaiso University landed the #21 spot for media arts value this year. Set in the suburb of Valparaiso, Valparaiso University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $48,450 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $26,724. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from Valparaiso University generally make around $51,987. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Valparaiso University admits about 89% of applicants.
Ohio University Main Campus ranked #22 on our 2027 list of the best value media arts schools. Located in the town of Athens, Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,158, compared with $24,838 for out-of-state students. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career media arts graduates make about $29,086. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 85%.
Kent State University At Kent landed the #23 spot for media arts value this year. Set in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,220 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $21,575. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $24,987 in student loans. Media Arts graduates of Kent State University At Kent earn a median of $26,398 early in their careers. Set against $24,987 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Kent State University At Kent admits about 86% of applicants.
Bowling Green State University Main Campus landed the #24 spot for media arts value this year. Set in the town of Bowling Green, Bowling Green State University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,912 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $21,900. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from Bowling Green State University Main Campus generally make around $29,405. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Bowling Green State University Main Campus admits about 81% of applicants.
Cedarville University earned the #25 position for value in media arts this year. Located in the rural area of Cedarville, Cedarville University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $37,150. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $15,250. Early-career media arts graduates make about $33,554. That is a strong return on a $15,250 median debt. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
These schools also delivered strong value for media arts this year:
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 38 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 38 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.
