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2026 Highest Paid Film Video And Photographic Arts Grads in the Great Lakes Region

[Film Video And Photographic Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/film-video-and-photographic-arts/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a film video and photographic arts degree into the strongest early-career earnings.

College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying film video and photographic arts schools.

What’s on this page:

• Highest Paid Film Video And Photographic Arts Grads in the Great Lakes Region

2026 Highest Paid Film Video And Photographic Arts Grads in the Great Lakes Region

Below are the schools whose film video and photographic arts graduates go on to earn the most.

Highest Paid Film Video And Photographic Arts Graduates

1

Ohio University Main Campus
Athens, OH

$48,420 Average Early-Career Salary

Ohio University Main Campus earned the #1 spot for highest-paid film video and photographic arts graduates in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the town of Athens, Ohio University Main Campus is a public institution. After graduating, film video and photographic arts degree recipients from Ohio University Main Campus typically earn about $48,420 annually.

2

Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL

$50,348 Average Early-Career Salary

Columbia College Chicago produces some of the highest-paid graduates in film video and photographic arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, film video and photographic arts degree recipients from Columbia College Chicago typically earn about $50,348 annually.

3

Depaul University
Chicago, IL

$50,631 Average Early-Career Salary

Depaul University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying film video and photographic arts schools. Set in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a private not-for-profit institution. Film Video And Photographic Arts graduates of Depaul University earn a median of about $50,631 a year early in their careers.

View All Film Video And Photographic Arts Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries film video and photographic arts graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).

Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 3 schools evaluated.

*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.

• 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.
• Graduate earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard) field-of-study earnings.

More about our data sources and methodologies.