2026 Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in New Mexico

[Film, Video & Photographic Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/film-video-and-photographic-arts/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong film, video & photographic arts education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for film, video & photographic arts students.
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2026 Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in New Mexico
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the film, video & photographic arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools
Central New Mexico Community College earned the #1 spot for value among film, video & photographic arts schools in New Mexico. Set in the city of Albuquerque, Central New Mexico Community College is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $2,060, with out-of-state students paying around $8,684. Students borrow a median of $10,112 to complete the film, video & photographic arts program here. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of Central New Mexico Community College earn a median of $34,751 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
New Mexico State University Main Campus came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value film, video & photographic arts schools. New Mexico State University Main Campus is a large public school located in the suburb of Las Cruces. In-state tuition and fees average $8,183, while out-of-state students pay about $25,307. Typical student debt for film, video & photographic arts graduates is $15,625. Soon after graduation, film, video & photographic arts degree recipients from New Mexico State University Main Campus generally make around $25,344. That is a strong return on a $15,625 median debt. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in film, video & photographic arts, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Albuquerque, University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,140 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $33,060. Students borrow a median of $15,851 to complete the film, video & photographic arts program here. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of University Of New Mexico Main Campus earn a median of $49,983 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 95%.
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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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.