What Film and Video programs cost
Every figure on this page is federal data, reported as the source reports it. Where a program has too few completers to report safely, the government suppresses the figure and so do we.
Data last updated
$23,250
324 programs reporting
Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study (retrieved September 2026)
$46,553
365 programs reporting
Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study (retrieved September 2026)
18
Of 308 reporting both figures
Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study (retrieved September 2026)
By credential
| Credential | Programs | Annual tuitionpublished, in-state | Median graduate debt | Median graduate earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 317 | $4,224 | $9,500 | $33,954 |
| Associate degree | 297 | $3,072 | $17,474 | $35,373 |
| Bachelor’s degree | 677 | $26,684 | $23,000 | $46,801 |
| Master’s degree | 208 | $27,024 | $61,500 | $59,583 |
Sources: College Scorecard, Field of Study (retrieved September 2026); IPEDS, NCES (retrieved September 2026)
How we are paid: StudyCreative earns revenue when readers ask to be connected with a school. No school pays to appear in these figures, to change them, or to be left out of them. Full disclosure.
By institution type
| Institution type | Programs | Annual tuition | Median graduate debt | Median graduate earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public | 895 | $5,544 | $22,125 | $45,762 |
| Private nonprofit | 540 | $40,761 | $25,996 | $50,871 |
| Private for-profit | 64 | $26,417 | $21,737 | $34,651 |
Sources: College Scorecard, Field of Study (retrieved September 2026); IPEDS, NCES (retrieved September 2026)
Where the numbers do not work
18 of 308 programs reporting both figures leave graduates owing more in federal loans than they earn in their fourth year out. We publish them because no one else will.
| Institution | Fieldand delivery | at completion | 4 yrs after | Median federal loan debt at completion, divided by median earnings four years later. It answers a single question: how much of one year’s income do you owe on the day you finish?Below 50% is generally considered manageable. Above 100% means graduates owe more than they earn in a year, and repayment on a standard ten-year plan starts to consume a serious share of income.Debt covers federal loans only, so real ratios are often worse. Both figures are medians — half of graduates fall on the wrong side of each. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Film Institute ConservatoryMaster’s degree · CA · Private nonprofit | Film/Cinema/Media StudiesMaster’s degree · On campus | $164,727 | $43,012 | 383% |
| New York UniversityMaster’s degree · NY · Private nonprofit | Cinematography and Film/Video ProductionMaster’s degree · On campusOffers: Film and Television (Tisch) (BFA) · Game Design (Tisch Game Center) (BFA) · Integrated Design and Media (Tandon) (BS) · Computer Science (Tandon) (BS) · Computer Science (Tandon) (MS)What this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:PhotographyThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $168,162 | $47,221 | 356% |
| New York Film AcademyMaster’s degree · CA · Private for-profit | Cinematography and Film/Video ProductionMaster’s degree · Online or on campusOffers: Filmmaking (BFA) · Filmmaking (AFA) · Filmmaking (MFA) · Cinematography (MFA) · Producing (MFA) · Documentary (MFA) · Photography (MFA) · Game Design (MFA)What this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:PhotographyDocumentary ProductionThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $127,588 | $38,915 | 328% |
| University of Southern CaliforniaMaster’s degree · CA · Private nonprofit | Cinematography and Film/Video ProductionMaster’s degree · On campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Film/Cinema/Media StudiesThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $167,503 | $51,931 | 323% |
| Columbia University in the City of New YorkMaster’s degree · NY · Private nonprofit | Cinematography and Film/Video ProductionMaster’s degree · On campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Film/Cinema/Media StudiesThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $163,605 | $56,444 | 290% |
| Chapman UniversityMaster’s degree · CA · Private nonprofit | Cinematography and Film/Video ProductionMaster’s degree · On campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Film/Cinema/Media StudiesDocumentary ProductionThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $144,710 | $50,895 | 284% |
| Loyola Marymount UniversityMaster’s degree · CA · Private nonprofit | Cinematography and Film/Video ProductionMaster’s degree · On campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Film/Cinema/Media StudiesThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $120,626 | $55,619 | 217% |
| School of Visual ArtsMaster’s degree · NY · Private for-profit | PhotographyMaster’s degree · On campusOffers: Animation (BFA) · 3D Animation and Visual Effects (BFA) · Design (BFA) · Illustration (BFA) · Cartooning (BFA) · Advertising (BFA) · Film (BFA) · Photography and Video (BFA)What this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Film/Video and Photographic Arts, OtherCinematography and Film/Video ProductionThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $79,311 | $39,654 | 200% |
| Academy of Art UniversityMaster’s degree · CA · Private for-profit | PhotographyMaster’s degree · HybridOffers: Music Production and Sound Design for Visual Media (BFA) · Music Scoring and Composition (BFA) · Game Development (BFA) · Animation and Visual Effects (BFA) · Graphic Design (BFA) · Illustration (BFA) · Visual Development (BFA)What this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Cinematography and Film/Video ProductionThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $113,213 | $58,879 | 192% |
| Savannah College of Art and DesignMaster’s degree · GA · Private nonprofit | Cinematography and Film/Video ProductionMaster’s degree · HybridOffers: Film and Television (BFA) · Animation (BFA) · Animation (MA/MFA) · Visual Effects (BFA) · Motion Media Design (BFA) · Illustration (BFA) · Illustration (MA/MFA) · Graphic Design (BA/BFA)What this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:PhotographyFilm/Cinema/Media StudiesThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $95,380 | $53,996 | 177% |
| University of California-Los AngelesMaster’s degree · CA · Public | Film/Cinema/Media StudiesMaster’s degree · On campus | $92,809 | $53,630 | 173% |
| California Institute of the ArtsMaster’s degree · CA · Private nonprofit | Cinematography and Film/Video ProductionMaster’s degree · On campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:PhotographyThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $96,000 | $56,207 | 171% |
| Columbia College ChicagoMaster’s degree · IL · Private nonprofit | Cinematography and Film/Video ProductionMaster’s degree · On campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:PhotographyFilm/Cinema/Media StudiesDocumentary ProductionThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $83,900 | $53,147 | 158% |
| DePaul UniversityMaster’s degree · IL · Private nonprofit | Cinematography and Film/Video ProductionMaster’s degree · On campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:Documentary ProductionThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $72,729 | $46,553 | 156% |
| Florida State UniversityMaster’s degree · FL · Public | Cinematography and Film/Video ProductionMaster’s degree · On campus | $61,500 | $44,277 | 139% |
Showing the 15 highest ratios of 18. Debt is federal loans only and excludes private borrowing, so real totals are often higher.
Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study (retrieved September 2026)
Where they work best
The same field, at the other end. These programs leave graduates with the lowest debt relative to what they go on to earn.
| Institution | Fieldand delivery | at completion | 4 yrs after | Median federal loan debt at completion, divided by median earnings four years later. It answers a single question: how much of one year’s income do you owe on the day you finish?Below 50% is generally considered manageable. Above 100% means graduates owe more than they earn in a year, and repayment on a standard ten-year plan starts to consume a serious share of income.Debt covers federal loans only, so real ratios are often worse. Both figures are medians — half of graduates fall on the wrong side of each. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville Film InstituteUndergraduate certificate · TN · Private for-profit | Cinematography and Film/Video ProductionUndergraduate certificate · On campus | $5,500 | $34,240 | 16% |
| CUNY Brooklyn CollegeBachelor’s degree · NY · Public | Radio and TelevisionBachelor’s degree · On campus | $10,588 | $51,404 | 21% |
| University of California-BerkeleyBachelor’s degree · CA · Public | Film/Cinema/Media StudiesBachelor’s degree · On campus | $15,000 | $70,963 | 21% |
| Brigham Young UniversityBachelor’s degree · UT · Private nonprofit | Film/Cinema/Media StudiesBachelor’s degree · On campusWhat this figure actually coversThe federal government reports debt and earnings for a whole program family rather than one degree. At this institution that family also includes:PhotographyThe figures on this row describe all of them together. We cannot separate them, and we do not estimate. | $11,894 | $53,695 | 22% |
| Florida Institute of Recording Sound and TechnologyUndergraduate certificate · FL · Private for-profit | Cinematography and Film/Video ProductionUndergraduate certificate · Fully online | $7,853 | $33,668 | 23% |
| University of FloridaBachelor’s degree · FL · Public | Radio and TelevisionBachelor’s degree · Hybrid | $15,000 | $62,227 | 24% |
| University of Florida-OnlineBachelor’s degree · FL · Public | Radio and TelevisionBachelor’s degree · Hybrid | $15,000 | $62,227 | 24% |
| Austin Community College DistrictAssociate degree · TX · Public | Radio and TelevisionAssociate degree · On campus | $9,250 | $37,248 | 25% |
| Fordham UniversityBachelor’s degree · NY · Private nonprofit | Digital Communication and Media/MultimediaBachelor’s degree · On campus | $22,250 | $84,366 | 26% |
| Texas A & M University-College StationBachelor’s degree · TX · Public | Digital Communication and Media/MultimediaBachelor’s degree · On campus | $16,263 | $61,478 | 26% |
Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study (retrieved September 2026)
What these numbers do not tell you
- Debt figures cover federal loans only. Private loans, credit cards and family money are invisible here, so the real cost is usually higher.
- Earnings cover people who completed the program and were working and not enrolled four years later. People who dropped out are not counted, and dropping out is common.
- The Scorecard reports at a four-digit CIP level, so a figure for one program may pool several related ones at the same institution.
- Programs with too few completers are suppressed for privacy. Small programs are therefore under-represented on this page.