College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

44 Ranked Colleges
1,727 Degrees Awarded
$11,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that 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.

This year’s “Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 44 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in film, video and photographic arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great film, video and photographic arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the film, video and photographic arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Film Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 $30-$48k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. 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 also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $917 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Northwestern

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 87 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $5,670 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend U-M.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at U-M

3
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 31 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.

Purdue also took the #3 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $5,853 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Purdue

4

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k list, Ohio State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,581 for great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

5

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 #5 for the Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 8 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $8,036 for great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full UIUC Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

6
Kenyon crest
Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio

Kenyon College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Gambier, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Kenyon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kenyon is $18,974 for great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Kenyon College Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

7
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k list, Oakland has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $8,839 for great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Oakland Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

8
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oberlin College is located in Oberlin, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

Oberlin also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $13,745 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oberlin.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Oberlin

9

Grand Valley State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. GVSU is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 64 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $11,026 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Grand Valley State University Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

10

Cuyahoga Community College District came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cuyahoga Community College District is a public institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,171 for great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cuyahoga Community College District.

Full Cuyahoga Community College District Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

11

With a ranking of #11, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIC is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 3 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $11,351 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

12

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

UW - Whitewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $10,390 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

13
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $15,170 for great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan State Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

14

Milwaukee Area Technical College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,079 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend MATC.

Full Milwaukee Area Technical College Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s film degrees to 89 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k list, UWM has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UWM is $13,351 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

16
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Western Michigan University is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 35 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k list, WMU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,552 for great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Western Michigan University.

Full WMU Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

17
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wayne State University is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,414 for great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wayne State University.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Wayne State University

18
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan

With a ranking of #18, Ferris State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ferris is a fairly large school located in Big Rapids, Michigan that handed out 7 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,859 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ferris.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Ferris State University

19

Youngstown State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Youngstown, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,972 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Youngstown State University.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Youngstown State University

20
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Eastern Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 23 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,265 for great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Eastern Michigan University.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Eastern Michigan

21

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 30 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,226 for Great Lakes Region Film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

22

With a ranking of #22, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s film degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC is $15,966 for great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

23

With a ranking of #23, Miami University - Oxford did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 4 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k list, Miami University - Oxford has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,062 for great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.

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 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at Miami University - Oxford

24
DePauw crest
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana

DePauw University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Greencastle, Indiana, and it awarded 7 ’s film degrees in 2020-2021.

DePauw also made our “Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $18,320 for great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend DePauw University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Film, Video & Photographic Arts at DePauw

25

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Film Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 35 degrees to qualified ’s film students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $14,822 for great lakes region film students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Film, Video & Photographic Arts Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options