2026 Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in North Carolina
Film, Video & Photographic Arts is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools to find the best for film, video & photographic arts students.
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Best Schools for Film, Video & Photographic Arts in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall film, video & photographic arts education in North Carolina.
Top Schools in Film, Video & Photographic Arts
Leading the list is Wake Forest University, our #1 school for film, video & photographic arts. Wake Forest University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Winston-Salem. Roughly 89% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 11 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Wake Forest University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the film, video & photographic arts program make about $67,369 in their early career. Wake Forest University graduates carry a median of $21,577 in student loans.
See the full film, video & photographic arts program report for Wake Forest University
High Point University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in film, video & photographic arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of High Point, High Point University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 72%. There were roughly 12 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at High Point University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the film, video & photographic arts program make about $113,352 in their early career. High Point University graduates carry a median of $23,785 in student loans.
See the full film, video & photographic arts program report for High Point University
A rank of #3 makes University Of North Carolina School Of The Arts one of the top schools for film, video & photographic arts. This small public university is located in the city of Winston Salem. The six-year graduation rate is 78%. About 88 film, video & photographic arts degrees were awarded at University Of North Carolina School Of The Arts in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, film, video & photographic arts degree recipients from University Of North Carolina School Of The Arts generally make around $23,477. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000.
See the full film, video & photographic arts program report for University Of North Carolina School Of The Arts
University Of North Carolina At Wilmington came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best film, video & photographic arts schools. University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public school located in the city of Wilmington. University Of North Carolina At Wilmington graduates 71% of students within six years. There were roughly 99 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at University Of North Carolina At Wilmington in the most recent data year. Students who receive their film, video & photographic arts degree from University Of North Carolina At Wilmington earn around $22,315 in the first couple years of their career. University Of North Carolina At Wilmington graduates carry a median of $22,052 in student loans.
More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from University Of North Carolina At Wilmington
A rank of #5 makes Cape Fear Community College one of the top schools for film, video & photographic arts. Located in the city of Wilmington, Cape Fear Community College is a very large public university. About 21 film, video & photographic arts degrees were awarded at Cape Fear Community College in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, film, video & photographic arts degree recipients from Cape Fear Community College generally make around $42,889. Cape Fear Community College graduates carry a median of $12,388 in student loans.
See the full film, video & photographic arts program report for Cape Fear Community College
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 11 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.