2023 Best Value Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
44
Ranked Colleges
1,727
Degrees Awarded
$9,300
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 16,778 people earned their degree in film, video and photographic arts, making the major the 62nd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, film, video and photographic arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $24,170 and had an average of $25,804 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,727 film, video and photographic arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $23,608 and $26,594 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 44 colleges that offer a degree in film, video and photographic arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent film, video and photographic arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the film, video and photographic arts program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools
The film school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region film students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 87 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also took the #1 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at U-M
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s film degrees to qualified students.
Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $245 for great lakes region film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Northwestern
Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $5,995 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Purdue University - Main Campus Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 8 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
UIUC also took the #11 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UIUC
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 41 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $7,068 for great lakes region film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Ohio State
With a ranking of #6, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 15 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $6,927 for great lakes region film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Michigan State
Oberlin College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Oberlin, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oberlin, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oberlin is $8,756 for great lakes region film students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Oberlin
Oakland University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Oakland also took the #20 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,949 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Oakland University
Grand Valley State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 64 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region film students whose families make $0-$30k list, GVSU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,259 for great lakes region film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Grand Valley State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Grand Valley State University
Cuyahoga Community College District landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Cuyahoga Community College District is $3,141 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Cuyahoga Community College District
DePauw University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Greencastle, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
DePauw did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for DePauw University is $19,503 for great lakes region film students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at DePauw
University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIC is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 3 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $10,549 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIC.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 7 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.
UW - Whitewater also took the #21 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,143 for great lakes region film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Whitewater.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
With a ranking of #14, Kenyon College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kenyon College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Gambier, Ohio. It awarded 6 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
Kenyon also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Kenyon College is $14,958 for great lakes region film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Kenyon College
Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Miami University - Oxford is a public institution located in Oxford, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Miami University - Oxford also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $13,956 for great lakes region film students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Miami University - Oxford
Western Michigan University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Western Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 35 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
WMU also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $13,112 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Western Michigan University
With a ranking of #17, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UWM is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 89 ’s film degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UWM, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $11,973 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 14 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
UC also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $15,061 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at UC
With a ranking of #19, Milwaukee Area Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. MATC is a fairly large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 5 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for MATC is $7,167 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full MATC Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Ferris State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Big Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 7 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Ferris is $6,577 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Ferris Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report
Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $11,665 for great lakes region film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUC.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Wayne State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wayne State University is a large public school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 6 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Wayne State University is $11,060 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Wayne State University
Northern Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Marquette, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Northern Michigan University is $8,958 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Northern Michigan University
With a ranking of #24, Youngstown State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Youngstown State University is a fairly large school located in Youngstown, Ohio that handed out 4 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,175 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Youngstown State University.
Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Youngstown State University
Eastern Michigan University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eastern Michigan University is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan University is $12,465 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Eastern Michigan
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