2026 Best Value Documentary Production Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
[Documentary Production](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/film-video-and-photographic-arts/documentary-production/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong documentary production education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for documentary production students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Documentary Production Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the documentary production degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Documentary Production Schools
Our analysis ranked Dixie State College Of Utah the best value for a degree in documentary production in the Rocky Mountains Region. Located in the city of Saint George, Dixie State College Of Utah is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,306, with out-of-state students paying around $18,246. Typical student debt for documentary production graduates is $18,666. Early-career documentary production graduates make about $42,266. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The University Of Montana is a great value for students pursuing a degree in documentary production, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Missoula, The University Of Montana is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,552, with out-of-state students paying around $33,671. Documentary Production graduates carry a median of $26,400 in student loans. Soon after graduation, documentary production degree recipients from The University Of Montana generally make around $24,679. That is a strong return on a $26,400 median debt. The acceptance rate is 96%.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Colorado Boulder one of the best values for documentary production. University Of Colorado Boulder is a very large public school located in the city of Boulder. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,214, while out-of-state students pay about $42,970. Typical student debt for documentary production graduates is $20,000. Documentary Production graduates of University Of Colorado Boulder earn a median of $55,861 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Colorado Boulder admits about 78% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 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.
