by our College Data Analytics Team
[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 12 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for media arts students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in media arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Our analysis ranked University Of North Texas At Dallas the best value for a degree in media arts in Texas. Set in the city of Dallas, University Of North Texas At Dallas is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,595, compared with $21,894 for out-of-state students. University Of North Texas At Dallas admits about 84% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Del Mar College earned it the #2 place for media arts. Set in the city of Corpus Christi, Del Mar College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,500, while out-of-state students pay about $6,050. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $7,476. Media Arts graduates of Del Mar College earn a median of $40,661 early in their careers. Set against $7,476 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #3 makes The University Of Texas At Arlington one of the best values for media arts. Set in the city of Arlington, The University Of Texas At Arlington is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,950, while out-of-state students pay about $29,582. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $21,302 in student loans. Early-career media arts graduates make about $43,038. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Texas At Arlington admits about 80% of applicants.
University Of North Texas is a great value for students pursuing a degree in media arts, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Denton, University Of North Texas is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,309, compared with $21,149 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for media arts graduates is $19,500. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from University Of North Texas generally make around $26,773. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of North Texas admits about 72% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The University Of Texas At El Paso earned it the #5 place for media arts. The University Of Texas At El Paso is a very large public school located in the city of El Paso. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,544, with out-of-state students paying around $25,502. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $21,737 in student loans. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from The University Of Texas At El Paso generally make around $21,182. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Texas At El Paso admits about 100% of applicants.
Sam Houston State University landed the #6 spot for media arts value this year. Set in the town of Huntsville, Sam Houston State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,228 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $19,068. Students borrow a median of $24,850 to complete the media arts program here. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from Sam Houston State University generally make around $46,365. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Texas State University San Marcos ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value media arts schools. Set in the city of San Marcos, Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,450 in tuition and fees, compared with $22,930 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,858 to complete the media arts program here. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from Texas State University San Marcos generally make around $31,977. That is a strong return on a $21,858 median debt. Texas State University San Marcos admits about 89% of applicants.
Texas Tech University came in at #8 for value in media arts this year. Texas Tech University is a very large public school located in the city of Lubbock. Students from in state pay about $11,852 in tuition and fees, compared with $24,157 for out-of-state students. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $24,250 in student loans. Early-career media arts graduates make about $31,546. Set against $24,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
West Texas A And M University placed #9 among the best values for media arts. Set in the town of Canyon, West Texas A And M University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,101 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $10,996. Media Arts graduates carry a median of $17,750 in student loans. Early-career media arts graduates make about $30,615. Set against $17,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. West Texas A And M University admits about 99% of applicants.
The University Of Texas At Austin placed #10 among the best values for media arts. Set in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,688, with out-of-state students paying around $44,908. Students borrow a median of $23,044 to complete the media arts program here. Early-career media arts graduates make about $27,551. Set against $23,044 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The University Of Texas At Austin admits about 27% of applicants.
Texas A And M University College Station ranked #11 on our 2027 list of the best value media arts schools. Set in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,995 in tuition and fees, compared with $40,124 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $18,500 to complete the media arts program here. Media Arts graduates of Texas A And M University College Station earn a median of $41,107 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $18,500 median debt. Texas A And M University College Station admits about 57% of applicants.
Saint Edwards University came in at #12 for value in media arts this year. Located in the city of Austin, Saint Edwards University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $51,384. Students borrow a median of $24,000 to complete the media arts program here. Soon after graduation, media arts degree recipients from Saint Edwards University generally make around $36,708. Set against $24,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Saint Edwards University admits about 81% of applicants.
The ranking above is published 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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.