[General Arts, Entertainment, & Media Management](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/arts-media-management/arts-entertainmentand-media-management-general/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for general arts, entertainment, & media management students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general arts, entertainment, & media management, balancing cost against outcomes.
Leading the list is Columbia College Chicago, our #1 best value for general arts, entertainment, & media management in Illinois. Set in the city of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $34,088. General Arts, Entertainment, & Media Management graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. General Arts, Entertainment, & Media Management graduates of Columbia College Chicago earn a median of $23,844 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
A rank of #2 makes Northwestern University one of the best values for general arts, entertainment, & media management. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. Students from in state pay about $68,322 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general arts, entertainment, & media management graduates is $16,616. Soon after graduation, general arts, entertainment, & media management degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $47,523. That is a strong return on a $16,616 median debt. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Depaul University earned it the #3 place for general arts, entertainment, & media management. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $45,405 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general arts, entertainment, & media management graduates is $25,310. Soon after graduation, general arts, entertainment, & media management degree recipients from Depaul University generally make around $55,226. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 76%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 5 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.
