2026 Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Washington
Film, Video & Photographic Arts is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. The schools below stand out for the quality of their film, video & photographic arts programs.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 12 schools to find the best for film, video & photographic arts students.
What’s on this page:
ADVERTISEMENTS
Featured Film, Video & Photographic Arts Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
AA in Digital Photography
Take the first step toward a career of visual expression and doing what you love with this online associate degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Learn More
BA in Digital Photography
Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Learn More
Best Schools for Film, Video & Photographic Arts in Washington
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the film, video & photographic arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Film, Video & Photographic Arts
Leading the list is University Of Washington Seattle Campus, our #1 school for film, video & photographic arts. Set in the city of Seattle, University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public institution. About 85% of students finish within six years. About 81 film, video & photographic arts degrees were awarded at University Of Washington Seattle Campus in the most recent year. Graduates of the film, video & photographic arts program make about $28,561 in their early career. University Of Washington Seattle Campus graduates carry a median of $16,481 in student loans.
Read more about the film, video & photographic arts program at University Of Washington Seattle Campus
Whitman College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best film, video & photographic arts schools. Whitman College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Walla Walla. Roughly 80% of students complete a degree within six years here. Whitman College awarded about 10 film, video & photographic arts degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their film, video & photographic arts degree from Whitman College earn around $32,345 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $17,518.
Get the full film, video & photographic arts details for Whitman College
Central Washington University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in film, video & photographic arts, landing the #3 spot this year. Central Washington University is a very large public school located in the town of Ellensburg. About 54% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 26 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Central Washington University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, film, video & photographic arts degree recipients from Central Washington University generally make around $23,126. Students borrow a median of $23,000 to complete this degree.
Read more about the film, video & photographic arts program at Central Washington University
A rank of #4 makes Seattle University one of the top schools for film, video & photographic arts. Set in the city of Seattle, Seattle University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. About 76% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 23 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Seattle University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the film, video & photographic arts program make about $30,256 in their early career. Seattle University graduates carry a median of $24,583 in student loans.
More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from Seattle University
Eastern Washington University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in film, video & photographic arts, ranking #5. Eastern Washington University is a large public school located in the town of Cheney. The six-year graduation rate is 44%. About 26 film, video & photographic arts degrees were awarded at Eastern Washington University in the most recent year. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of Eastern Washington University earn a median of $25,090 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $21,754 to complete this degree.
Read more about the film, video & photographic arts program at Eastern Washington University
Seattle Film Institute came in at #6 for film, video & photographic arts this year. Set in the city of Seattle, Seattle Film Institute is a small private for-profit institution. About 30 film, video & photographic arts degrees were awarded at Seattle Film Institute in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, film, video & photographic arts degree recipients from Seattle Film Institute generally make around $24,237. Students borrow a median of $21,664 to complete this degree.
Get the full film, video & photographic arts details for Seattle Film Institute
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 12 schools evaluated.
- 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.
