2027 Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Illinois
[Film, Video & Photographic Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/film-video-and-photographic-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for film, video & photographic arts students.
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2027 Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in film, video & photographic arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools
Leading the list is College Of Dupage, our #1 best value for film, video & photographic arts in Illinois. Set in the suburb of Glen Ellyn, College Of Dupage is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,560, with out-of-state students paying around $12,750. Typical student debt for film, video & photographic arts graduates is $12,492. Soon after graduation, film, video & photographic arts degree recipients from College Of Dupage generally make around $43,025. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in film, video & photographic arts will find it at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, which ranked #2. Located in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,334. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates carry a median of $19,500 in student loans. Early-career film, video & photographic arts graduates make about $21,322. That is a strong return on a $19,500 median debt. Southern Illinois University Carbondale admits about 87% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Chicago one of the best values for film, video & photographic arts. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $69,324. Typical student debt for film, video & photographic arts graduates is $15,854. Early-career film, video & photographic arts graduates make about $81,002. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Chicago admits about 4% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Columbia College Chicago earned it the #4 place for film, video & photographic arts. Set in the city of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $34,088 in tuition and fees. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of Columbia College Chicago earn a median of $29,694 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Depaul University earned it the #5 place for film, video & photographic arts. 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. Students borrow a median of $24,717 to complete the film, video & photographic arts program here. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $25,028 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 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.
