2026 Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Virginia
Film, Video & Photographic Arts degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. 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 14 schools to find the best for film, video & photographic arts students.
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Best Schools for Film, Video & Photographic Arts in Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall film, video & photographic arts education in Virginia.
Top Schools in Film, Video & Photographic Arts
Our analysis ranked George Mason University the best school in the country for a degree in film, video & photographic arts. George Mason University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax. The six-year graduation rate is 68%. George Mason University awarded about 45 film, video & photographic arts degrees in the most recent data year. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of George Mason University earn a median of $23,989 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $25,000.
Get the full film, video & photographic arts details for George Mason University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in film, video & photographic arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University is a very large public university. About 63% of students finish within six years. Virginia Commonwealth University awarded about 106 film, video & photographic arts degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the film, video & photographic arts program make about $23,109 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in film, video & photographic arts from Virginia Commonwealth University
Northern Virginia Community College is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in film, video & photographic arts, ranking #3. Located in the suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a very large public university. Northern Virginia Community College awarded about 38 film, video & photographic arts degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their film, video & photographic arts degree from Northern Virginia Community College earn around $40,126 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $14,413.
Read more about the film, video & photographic arts program at Northern Virginia Community College
A rank of #4 makes Liberty University one of the top schools for film, video & photographic arts. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Liberty University graduates 67% of students within six years. There were roughly 55 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent data year. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of Liberty University earn a median of $20,512 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $22,500 to complete this degree.
Get the full film, video & photographic arts details for Liberty University
Regent University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in film, video & photographic arts, landing the #5 spot this year. Regent University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Virginia Beach. The six-year graduation rate is 58%. There were roughly 27 film, video & photographic arts students who graduated with this degree at Regent University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the film, video & photographic arts program make about $44,205 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $29,451 to complete this degree.
Read more about the film, video & photographic arts program at Regent University
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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 · 14 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.
