[Media Arts](/majors/communication-journalism-media/radio-television-digital-communication/media-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment 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.
Leading the list is University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, our #1 best value for media arts in North Carolina. Set in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,994, with out-of-state students paying around $41,203. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $15,117. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill generally make around $61,361. Set against $15,117 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill admits about 15% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at North Carolina State University At Raleigh earned it the #2 place for media arts. Set in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,799 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $32,847. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $22,113. Early-career media arts graduates make about $59,622. Set against $22,113 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. North Carolina State University At Raleigh admits about 42% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at High Point University earned it the #3 place for media arts. Located in the city of High Point, High Point University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $45,312. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $23,785. Media Arts graduates of High Point University earn a median of $113,352 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,785 median debt. The acceptance rate is 75%.
Elon University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value media arts schools. Located in the suburb of Elon, Elon University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $46,958. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $22,196 in student loans. Early-career media arts graduates make about $31,295. Set against $22,196 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 66% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
