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Best Schools for Film & Photography in 2026

140 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Film & Photography, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Film & Photography graduate earns $25,921/yr across 140 schools.

Programs Ranked

140

Avg Earnings

$25,921/yr

Avg DW Score

35/100

AI Risk

High

47% task exposure

All Film & Photography Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

#	Program	DW Score	Earnings	AI Risk	ROI
1	Film & Photography Kennesaw State University · Kennesaw, GA	68 63–69	$51,772/yr	High	21.4x
2	Film & Photography Utah Valley University · Orem, UT	61 57–62	$41,833/yr	High	15.7x
3	Film & Photography Florida State University · Tallahassee, FL	54 48–58	$31,689/yr	High	24.8x
4	Film & Photography California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA	45 36–52	$24,618/yr	High	16.5x
5	Film & Photography CUNY City College · New York, NY	46 40–51	$26,918/yr	High	15.3x
6	Film & Photography Brigham Young University · Provo, UT	47 40–51	$25,506/yr	High	16.3x
7	Film & Photography Miami Dade College · Miami, FL	49 45–50	$20,611/yr	High	17.2x
8	Film & Photography CUNY Hunter College · New York, NY	45 37–51	$24,869/yr	High	15.3x
9	Film & Photography San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA	42 32–51	$18,654/yr	High	15.3x
10	Film & Photography Tufts University · Medford, MA	47 43–48	$56,418/yr	High	1.1x
11	Film & Photography Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	46 41–48	$29,608/yr	High	11.8x
12	Film & Photography California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA	45 40–47	$27,290/yr	High	12.5x
13	Film & Photography University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA	42 35–50	$29,696/yr	High	11.1x
14	Film & Photography University of Central Florida · Orlando, FL	44 38–47	$23,676/yr	High	13.3x
15	Film & Photography Rutgers University-Newark · Newark, NJ	45 42–47	$38,508/yr	High	4.8x
16	Film & Photography Texas State University · San Marcos, TX	45 41–47	$33,610/yr	High	8.8x
17	Film & Photography University of Utah · Salt Lake City, UT	43 37–48	$28,138/yr	High	12.0x
18	Film & Photography Eastern Washington University · Cheney, WA	43 36–49	$25,090/yr	High	13.4x
19	Film & Photography Rutgers University-New Brunswick · New Brunswick, NJ	45 42–47	$38,508/yr	High	4.6x
20	Film & Photography Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ	42 37–46	$31,148/yr	High	9.1x
21	Film & Photography Binghamton University · Vestal, NY	39 31–48	$22,843/yr	High	11.9x
22	Film & Photography University at Buffalo · Buffalo, NY	41 34–47	$26,630/yr	High	10.8x
23	Film & Photography University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus · Norman, OK	44 41–44	$32,126/yr	High	8.3x
24	Film & Photography Georgia State University · Atlanta, GA	40 33–46	$22,588/yr	High	11.6x
25	Film & Photography State University of New York at Oswego · Oswego, NY	40 33–46	$22,682/yr	High	11.6x
26	Film & Photography University of North Carolina Wilmington · Wilmington, NC	40 35–44	$22,315/yr	High	11.1x
27	Film & Photography The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	40 36–43	$24,679/yr	High	10.2x
28	Film & Photography New Mexico State University-Main Campus · Las Cruces, NM	41 36–43	$25,344/yr	High	9.9x
29	Film & Photography CUNY Brooklyn College · Brooklyn, NY	39 33–44	$20,476/yr	High	11.0x
30	Film & Photography University of North Carolina School of the Arts · Winston Salem, NC	39 33–45	$24,053/yr	High	10.5x
31	Film & Photography Central Washington University · Ellensburg, WA	39 33–44	$23,126/yr	High	10.3x
32	Film & Photography University of Arizona · Tucson, AZ	38 31–45	$26,054/yr	High	9.2x
33	Film & Photography University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA	39 33–43	$28,608/yr	High	7.8x
34	Film & Photography University of Iowa · Iowa City, IA	39 33–43	$26,147/yr	High	9.1x
35	Film & Photography University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE	43 39–43	$31,172/yr	High	6.7x
36	Film & Photography University of Nevada-Las Vegas · Las Vegas, NV	38 32–43	$21,491/yr	High	9.9x
37	Film & Photography Southern New Hampshire University · Manchester, NH	41 37–43	$33,578/yr	High	4.1x
38	Film & Photography Portland State University · Portland, OR	39 34–43	$27,028/yr	High	8.9x
39	Film & Photography University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI	38 32–43	$23,840/yr	High	9.4x
40	Film & Photography University of Kansas · Lawrence, KS	39 35–41	$28,289/yr	High	6.8x
41	Film & Photography University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth · North Dartmouth, MA	40 36–41	$31,886/yr	High	4.2x
42	Film & Photography University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN	38 33–41	$29,958/yr	High	5.8x
43	Film & Photography Montclair State University · Montclair, NJ	38 33–42	$28,474/yr	High	7.4x
44	Film & Photography SUNY at Purchase College · Purchase, NY	36 30–43	$18,128/yr	High	9.4x
45	Film & Photography University of Rhode Island · Kingston, RI	38 33–41	$29,634/yr	High	5.9x
46	Film & Photography Arizona State University Digital Immersion · Scottsdale, AZ	39 34–41	$31,148/yr	High	—
47	Film & Photography Grand Canyon University · Phoenix, AZ	38 32–41	$29,094/yr	High	5.8x
48	Film & Photography Northern Arizona University · Flagstaff, AZ	36 30–41	$23,418/yr	High	8.0x
49	Film & Photography University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA	38 33–40	$29,011/yr	High	5.4x
50	Film & Photography Saint Cloud State University · Saint Cloud, MN	38 34–40	$26,332/yr	High	7.4x
51	Film & Photography Keene State College · Keene, NH	37 32–41	$27,261/yr	High	6.8x
52	Film & Photography Middle Tennessee State University · Murfreesboro, TN	40 37–41	$28,202/yr	High	6.4x
53	Film & Photography George Mason University · Fairfax, VA	36 30–42	$23,989/yr	High	8.0x
54	Film & Photography University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA	36 30–41	$24,840/yr	High	7.4x
55	Film & Photography University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA	35 29–40	$23,614/yr	High	6.8x
56	Film & Photography Chapman University · Orange, CA	36 31–39	$35,795/yr	High	1.6x
57	Film & Photography Eastern Michigan University · Ypsilanti, MI	37 32–40	$27,348/yr	High	5.9x
58	Film & Photography University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI	36 30–40	$25,565/yr	High	6.3x
59	Film & Photography Western Michigan University · Kalamazoo, MI	36 31–39	$26,502/yr	High	5.9x
60	Film & Photography University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO	38 34–40	$29,613/yr	High	4.2x
61	Film & Photography University of South Carolina-Columbia · Columbia, SC	36 30–39	$23,686/yr	High	6.9x
62	Film & Photography University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA	38 34–40	$28,561/yr	High	4.6x
63	Film & Photography University of California-Davis · Davis, CA	34 27–41	$19,258/yr	High	7.3x
64	Film & Photography University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA	35 28–39	$21,397/yr	High	6.8x
65	Film & Photography Massachusetts College of Art and Design · Boston, MA	35 29–39	$22,764/yr	High	6.1x
66	Film & Photography Grand Valley State University · Allendale, MI	36 30–39	$25,256/yr	High	6.1x
67	Film & Photography Fordham University · Bronx, NY	36 31–38	$36,704/yr	High	0.5x
68	Film & Photography Bowling Green State University-Main Campus · Bowling Green, OH	34 28–39	$19,803/yr	High	6.7x
69	Film & Photography Cleveland State University · Cleveland, OH	35 30–39	$22,263/yr	High	6.6x
70	Film & Photography University of Central Arkansas · Conway, AR	38 35–40	$26,939/yr	High	3.9x
71	Film & Photography Woodbury University · Burbank, CA	34 29–37	$32,477/yr	High	1.9x
72	Film & Photography University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO	34 28–38	$22,601/yr	High	5.7x
73	Film & Photography University of Miami · Coral Gables, FL	35 30–37	$35,485/yr	High	0.5x
74	Film & Photography Clayton State University · Morrow, GA	37 35–38	$15,952/yr	High	6.9x
75	Film & Photography Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL	34 29–37	$21,322/yr	High	5.6x
76	Film & Photography Lesley University · Cambridge, MA	35 31–38	$31,846/yr	High	2.4x
77	Film & Photography Oberlin College · Oberlin, OH	27 22–30	$23,519/yr	High	-0.1x
78	Film & Photography Wright State University-Main Campus · Dayton, OH	36 32–37	$24,617/yr	High	4.5x
79	Film & Photography Virginia Commonwealth University · Richmond, VA	34 28–38	$23,109/yr	High	5.7x
80	Film & Photography California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt · Arcata, CA	35 31–37	$19,107/yr	High	5.0x
81	Film & Photography University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA	34 29–37	$34,187/yr	High	1.0x
82	Film & Photography University of Oregon · Eugene, OR	33 27–37	$20,041/yr	High	4.7x
83	Film & Photography Drexel University · Philadelphia, PA	26 21–29	$19,758/yr	High	-0.2x
84	Film & Photography Temple University · Philadelphia, PA	33 27–37	$24,345/yr	High	3.8x
85	Film & Photography Los Angeles Film School · Hollywood, CA	34 29–37	$22,596/yr	High	—
86	Film & Photography Oakland University · Rochester Hills, MI	33 29–35	$22,011/yr	High	3.7x
87	Film & Photography University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus · Pittsburgh, PA	35 31–36	$28,634/yr	High	2.3x
88	Film & Photography Rhode Island College · Providence, RI	33 29–34	$18,685/yr	High	3.3x
89	Film & Photography Seattle Film Institute · Seattle, WA	33 29–35	$30,789/yr	High	1.3x
90	Film & Photography Academy of Art University · San Francisco, CA	30 25–34	$23,354/yr	High	2.5x
91	Film & Photography California College of ASU · Los Angeles, CA	29 24–34	$20,483/yr	High	2.6x
92	Film & Photography Occidental College · Los Angeles, CA	31 26–33	$30,526/yr	High	0.2x
93	Film & Photography American University · Washington, DC	30 24–36	$26,767/yr	High	2.1x
94	Film & Photography Full Sail University · Winter Park, FL	30 26–33	$24,078/yr	High	2.2x
95	Film & Photography The University of Tampa · Tampa, FL	31 26–33	$26,641/yr	High	2.0x
96	Film & Photography Rochester Institute of Technology · Rochester, NY	30 25–33	$28,858/yr	High	1.3x
97	Film & Photography Columbus College of Art & Design · Columbus, OH	31 27–34	$28,994/yr	High	1.5x
98	Film & Photography George Fox University · Newberg, OR	31 27–34	$29,745/yr	High	1.2x
99	Film & Photography Belmont University · Nashville, TN	32 28–34	$30,188/yr	High	0.8x
100	Film & Photography Seattle University · Seattle, WA	31 26–33	$30,256/yr	High	0.3x
101	Film & Photography Quinnipiac University · Hamden, CT	30 26–33	$29,253/yr	High	0.4x
102	Film & Photography DePaul University · Chicago, IL	30 24–33	$26,164/yr	High	1.8x
103	Film & Photography Huntington University · Huntington, IN	31 27–32	$27,455/yr	High	1.3x
104	Film & Photography Emerson College · Boston, MA	29 24–33	$27,032/yr	High	1.4x
105	Film & Photography Vassar College · Poughkeepsie, NY	30 24–34	$28,028/yr	High	1.4x
106	Film & Photography John Paul the Great Catholic University · Escondido, CA	31 27–32	$27,221/yr	High	1.3x
107	Film & Photography California Institute of the Arts · Valencia, CA	30 25–32	$28,247/yr	High	0.2x
108	Film & Photography Savannah College of Art and Design · Savannah, GA	29 23–32	$23,976/yr	High	1.7x
109	Film & Photography Columbia College Chicago · Chicago, IL	29 24–32	$23,905/yr	High	1.8x
110	Film & Photography Wheaton College (Massachusetts) · Norton, MA	30 25–32	$28,498/yr	High	0.1x
111	Film & Photography Minneapolis College of Art and Design · Minneapolis, MN	29 24–31	$26,156/yr	High	0.8x
112	Film & Photography Oral Roberts University · Tulsa, OK	29 25–31	$25,696/yr	High	0.9x
113	Film & Photography DeSales University · Center Valley, PA	28 22–32	$22,651/yr	High	1.7x
114	Film & Photography California Baptist University · Riverside, CA	28 24–31	$25,031/yr	High	0.6x
115	Film & Photography Loyola Marymount University · Los Angeles, CA	28 23–31	$24,561/yr	High	0.9x
116	Film & Photography Mount Saint Mary's University · Los Angeles, CA	28 24–31	$25,835/yr	High	0.3x
117	Film & Photography Stevenson University · Owings Mills, MD	29 24–31	$25,690/yr	High	0.6x
118	Film & Photography College for Creative Studies · Detroit, MI	28 23–31	$24,350/yr	High	1.0x
119	Film & Photography Kansas City Art Institute · Kansas City, MO	28 22–31	$22,619/yr	High	1.5x
120	Film & Photography Webster University · Saint Louis, MO	28 22–31	$19,071/yr	High	1.7x
121	Film & Photography Ithaca College · Ithaca, NY	28 23–31	$23,782/yr	High	1.2x
122	Film & Photography Marymount Manhattan College · New York, NY	28 24–30	$25,014/yr	High	0.6x
123	Film & Photography The New School · New York, NY	27 22–32	$21,523/yr	High	1.4x
124	Film & Photography New York University · New York, NY	28 22–32	$23,869/yr	High	1.3x
125	Film & Photography Pace University · New York, NY	27 22–33	$20,775/yr	High	1.6x
126	Film & Photography Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY	28 23–31	$26,331/yr	High	0.0x
127	Film & Photography Liberty University · Lynchburg, VA	29 25–30	$20,512/yr	High	1.4x
128	Film & Photography Art Center College of Design · Pasadena, CA	27 22–30	$22,988/yr	High	0.6x
129	Film & Photography Maryland Institute College of Art · Baltimore, MD	26 21–29	$17,500/yr	High	0.8x
130	Film & Photography Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus · Teaneck, NJ	27 23–30	$22,311/yr	High	0.6x
131	Film & Photography Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus · Madison, NJ	27 23–30	$22,311/yr	High	0.6x
132	Film & Photography School of Visual Arts · New York, NY	27 22–29	$20,312/yr	High	0.8x
133	Film & Photography Rhode Island School of Design · Providence, RI	26 21–31	$17,701/yr	High	1.2x
134	Film & Photography University of Hartford · West Hartford, CT	26 21–29	$17,521/yr	High	0.5x
135	Film & Photography Ringling College of Art and Design · Sarasota, FL	26 21–29	$18,551/yr	High	0.3x
136	Film & Photography Calvin University · Grand Rapids, MI	26 21–28	$15,906/yr	High	0.0x
137	Film & Photography Pratt Institute-Main · Brooklyn, NY	26 21–29	$16,710/yr	High	0.4x
138	Film & Photography University of the Arts · Philadelphia, PA	26 21–29	$17,674/yr	High	0.6x
139	Film & Photography Champlain College · Burlington, VT	27 22–29	$21,092/yr	High	0.2x
140	Film & Photography New York Film Academy · Burbank, CA	26 21–28	$16,415/yr	High	0.1x

Methodology

Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).

Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Film & Photography?

Based on our DegreeWorth Score, Kennesaw State University ranks #1 for Film & Photography with a score of 68/100 and graduate earnings of $51,772/yr.

How much do Film & Photography graduates earn?

Across 140 schools, Film & Photography graduates earn an average of $25,921/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $56,418/yr.

Is Film & Photography a good major for AI resistance?

Film & Photography has an average AI task exposure of 47%, rated "High". This field has moderate AI exposure — some career paths are more resilient than others.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.