[Arts & Media Management](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/arts-media-management/) 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.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for arts & media management students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the arts & media management degrees they offer, see the list below.
Leading the list is Bradley University, our #1 best value for arts & media management in Illinois. Set in the city of Peoria, Bradley University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $42,160. Typical student debt for arts & media management graduates is $26,380. Soon after graduation, arts & media management degree recipients from Bradley University generally make around $54,513. That is a strong return on a $26,380 median debt. The acceptance rate is 77%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Columbia College Chicago earned it the #2 place for arts & media management. Located in the city of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $34,088. Typical student debt for arts & media management graduates is $26,000. Early-career arts & media management graduates make about $23,844. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northwestern University earned it the #3 place for arts & 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 arts & media management graduates is $16,616. Early-career arts & media management graduates make about $47,523. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Depaul University one of the best values for arts & media management. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. In-state tuition and fees average $45,405. Students borrow a median of $25,340 to complete the arts & media management program here. Arts & Media Management graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $55,390 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,340 median debt. Depaul University admits about 76% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago earned it the #5 place for arts & media management. School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. In-state tuition and fees average $54,623. Typical student debt for arts & media management graduates is $27,000. Early-career arts & media management graduates make about $38,205. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
