2027 Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Maryland

[Film, Video & Photographic Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/film-video-and-photographic-arts/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 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 Maryland
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
For return on investment in film, video & photographic arts, no school beat University Of Maryland College Park this year. University Of Maryland College Park is a very large public school located in the suburb of College Park. In-state tuition and fees average $11,809, with out-of-state students paying around $41,186. Students borrow a median of $20,836 to complete the film, video & photographic arts program here. Soon after graduation, film, video & photographic arts degree recipients from University Of Maryland College Park generally make around $57,901. Set against $20,836 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 45% of applicants are accepted.
Johns Hopkins University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value film, video & photographic arts schools. Set in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $64,730 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for film, video & photographic arts graduates is $13,426. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of Johns Hopkins University earn a median of $84,850 early in their careers. Set against $13,426 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Mcdaniel College earned it the #3 place for film, video & photographic arts. Set in the town of Westminster, Mcdaniel College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $52,081. Students borrow a median of $23,247 to complete the film, video & photographic arts program here. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of Mcdaniel College earn a median of $54,904 early in their careers. Set against $23,247 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Mcdaniel College admits about 78% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Maryland Institute College Of Art one of the best values for film, video & photographic arts. Set in the city of Baltimore, Maryland Institute College Of Art is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $56,800. Typical student debt for film, video & photographic arts graduates is $27,000. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of Maryland Institute College Of Art earn a median of $17,500 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Maryland Institute College Of Art admits about 77% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.