[General Arts, Entertainment, & Media Management](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/arts-media-management/arts-entertainmentand-media-management-general/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 9 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general arts, entertainment, & media management students.
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Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general arts, entertainment, & media management, balancing cost against outcomes.
National University tops our 2026 list of the best value general arts, entertainment, & media management schools in the Far Western Region. Located in the city of San Diego, National University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,284. General Arts, Entertainment, & Media Management graduates carry a median of $30,426 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general arts, entertainment, & media management degree recipients from National University generally make around $69,080. That is a strong return on a $30,426 median debt.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Southern California one of the best values for general arts, entertainment, & media management. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $71,647. Students borrow a median of $21,250 to complete the general arts, entertainment, & media management program here. Early-career general arts, entertainment, & media management graduates make about $26,975. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 10%.
A rank of #3 makes Los Angeles Film School one of the best values for general arts, entertainment, & media management. Located in the city of Hollywood, Los Angeles Film School is a moderately-sized private for-profit university. General Arts, Entertainment, & Media Management graduates carry a median of $44,250 in student loans. Early-career general arts, entertainment, & media management graduates make about $18,706. That is a strong return on a $44,250 median debt.
A rank of #4 makes Pepperdine University one of the best values for general arts, entertainment, & media management. Pepperdine University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Malibu. In-state tuition and fees average $69,918. General Arts, Entertainment, & Media Management graduates carry a median of $23,645 in student loans. Early-career general arts, entertainment, & media management graduates make about $57,582. That is a strong return on a $23,645 median debt. Pepperdine University admits about 63% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
