2027 Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Texas
[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 schools below stand out for delivering a strong film, video & photographic arts education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 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 Texas
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 Northwest Vista College this year. Located in the city of San Antonio, Northwest Vista College is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,412, compared with $9,952 for out-of-state students. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates carry a median of $9,189 in student loans. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of Northwest Vista College earn a median of $29,349 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Houston Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in film, video & photographic arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Houston, Houston Community College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $2,040, compared with $5,460 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,223 to complete the film, video & photographic arts program here. Soon after graduation, film, video & photographic arts degree recipients from Houston Community College generally make around $40,365. Set against $19,223 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Houston is a great value for students pursuing a degree in film, video & photographic arts, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Houston is a very large public school located in the city of Houston. In-state tuition and fees average $9,717, while out-of-state students pay about $22,547. Students borrow a median of $21,255 to complete the film, video & photographic arts program here. Early-career film, video & photographic arts graduates make about $57,529. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
Texas State University San Marcos is a great value for students pursuing a degree in film, video & photographic arts, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of San Marcos, Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,450, while out-of-state students pay about $22,930. Students borrow a median of $26,864 to complete the film, video & photographic arts program here. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of Texas State University San Marcos earn a median of $33,610 early in their careers. Set against $26,864 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Houston Baptist University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in film, video & photographic arts, landing the #5 spot this year. Houston Baptist University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Houston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $39,430. Typical student debt for film, video & photographic arts graduates is $25,601. Soon after graduation, film, video & photographic arts degree recipients from Houston Baptist University generally make around $57,088. Set against $25,601 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Southwestern Assemblies Of God University placed #6 among the best values for film, video & photographic arts. Southwestern Assemblies Of God University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Waxahachie. Students from in state pay about $25,064 in tuition and fees. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates carry a median of $28,248 in student loans. Early-career film, video & photographic arts graduates make about $37,774. Set against $28,248 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Saint Edwards University ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value film, video & photographic arts schools. Set in the city of Austin, Saint Edwards University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $51,384. Typical student debt for film, video & photographic arts graduates is $25,059. Early-career film, video & photographic arts graduates make about $44,054. Set against $25,059 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
Kd College Conservatory Of Film And Dramatic Arts landed the #8 spot for film, video & photographic arts value this year. Located in the city of Dallas, Kd College Conservatory Of Film And Dramatic Arts is a small private for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $20,521. Students borrow a median of $17,316 to complete the film, video & photographic arts program here. Early-career film, video & photographic arts graduates make about $22,845. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 68%.
Southern Methodist University ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value film, video & photographic arts schools. Southern Methodist University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Dallas. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,040. Students borrow a median of $20,712 to complete the film, video & photographic arts program here. Soon after graduation, film, video & photographic arts degree recipients from Southern Methodist University generally make around $70,632. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Southern Methodist University admits about 63% of applicants.
Baylor University came in at #10 for value in film, video & photographic arts this year. Baylor University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Waco. In-state tuition and fees average $58,100. Typical student debt for film, video & photographic arts graduates is $23,928. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of Baylor University earn a median of $49,888 early in their careers. Set against $23,928 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 51% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.
