Grad school ยท Arts, design and performing arts
Film and photography graduate programs: earnings and debt by school
82 colleges award master's degrees in film and photography. Graduates of the typical program earned $39,098 a year after finishing, and those who borrowed left with a median of $81,617 in federal loans taken at the school.
Master's programs82
Graduates in 2023-241,654
Typical median debt$81,617
Typical earnings 1 yr after$39,098
Typical earnings 4 yrs after$52,728
Earnings to debt0.5x
Official field: Film/Video and Photographic Arts. Admission figures such as LSAT, MCAT or GRE scores are not part of this federal data, so check each school.
| Degree level | Programs | Typical earnings 1 yr after | Typical median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master's | 82 | $39,098 | $81,617 |
| Doctoral | 16 | n/a | n/a |
| Professional doctorate | 1 | n/a | n/a |
Is it worth it? Debt vs first-year pay
Each dot is one master's program. Dots above the dashed line have graduates earning more in their first year than the program's median debt.
Master's programs in film and photography
Highest first-year earnings
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American UniversityWashington, DC | 25 | $54,168 | $76,808 | $66,116 |
| CUNY Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn, NY | 47 | $44,517 | $66,636 | $61,500 |
| Academy of Art UniversitySan Francisco, CA | 36 | $42,432 | $58,879 | $81,617 |
| Regent UniversityVirginia Beach, VA | 27 | $46,216 | $57,017 | $60,760 |
| Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, NY | 99 | $37,896 | $56,444 | $125,000 |
| California Institute of the ArtsValencia, CA | 35 | n/a | $56,207 | n/a |
| Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA | 69 | $41,500 | $55,619 | $146,411 |
| Savannah College of Art and DesignSavannah, GA | 103 | $38,167 | $53,996 | $78,283 |
| University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA | 96 | $37,971 | $53,630 | $90,438 |
| Columbia College ChicagoChicago, IL | 28 | n/a | $53,147 | $89,978 |
| University of North Carolina School of the ArtsWinston Salem, NC | 21 | $32,260 | $52,310 | $41,000 |
| University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA | 167 | $41,896 | $51,931 | $141,854 |
| Chapman UniversityOrange, CA | 98 | $39,104 | $50,895 | $143,654 |
| CUNY City CollegeNew York, NY | 12 | n/a | $47,282 | n/a |
| New York UniversityNew York, NY | 80 | $38,545 | $47,221 | $153,475 |
| DePaul UniversityChicago, IL | 35 | $37,648 | $46,553 | $68,333 |
| Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL | 21 | $39,093 | $44,277 | $78,402 |
| School of Visual ArtsNew York, NY | 64 | n/a | $39,654 | n/a |
| Full Sail UniversityWinter Park, FL | 59 | $33,493 | $39,171 | $52,091 |
| New York Film AcademyBurbank, CA | 118 | n/a | $38,915 | $146,450 |
| National UniversitySan Diego, CA | 0 | $48,733 | n/a | n/a |
| Art Center College of DesignPasadena, CA | 14 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Asbury UniversityWilmore, KY | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Atlantic UniversityGuaynabo, PR | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Barry UniversityMiami, FL | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Baylor UniversityWaco, TX | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Brigham Young UniversityProvo, UT | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| California College of the ArtsSan Francisco, CA | 14 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Chatham UniversityPittsburgh, PA | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| College of Staten Island CUNYStaten Island, NY | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham CampusMadison, NJ | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Governors State UniversityUniversity Park, IL | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Hollins UniversityRoanoke, VA | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Houston Christian UniversityHouston, TX | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Howard UniversityWashington, DC | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD | 26 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Lesley UniversityCambridge, MA | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Lipscomb UniversityNashville, TN | 13 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Maryland Institute College of ArtBaltimore, MD | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Massachusetts College of Art and DesignBoston, MA | 6 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Montana State UniversityBozeman, MT | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Mount Saint Mary's UniversityLos Angeles, CA | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| New Jersey City UniversityJersey City, NJ | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL | 9 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Ohio University-Main CampusAthens, OH | 14 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Quinnipiac UniversityHamden, CT | 24 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Rhode Island School of DesignProvidence, RI | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, NY | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Sacred Heart UniversityFairfield, CT | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA | 6 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA | 20 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Stanford UniversityStanford, CA | 6 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY | 15 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| The New SchoolNew York, NY | 18 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| The University of MontanaMissoula, MT | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, CA | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of California-Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of California-Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Central ArkansasConway, AR | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of GeorgiaAthens, GA | 17 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of HartfordWest Hartford, CT | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of IowaIowa City, IA | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Massachusetts-DartmouthNorth Dartmouth, MA | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL | 9 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Nevada-Las VegasLas Vegas, NV | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of North Carolina WilmingtonWilmington, NC | 14 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of South Carolina-ColumbiaColumbia, SC | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle, WA | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC | 11 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis, MO | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Wichita State UniversityWichita, KS | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT | 13 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Doctoral programs in film and photography
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| New York UniversityNew York, NY | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL | 6 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, CA | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of California-Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of California-Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of ChicagoChicago, IL | 6 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of IowaIowa City, IA | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of KansasLawrence, KS | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Professional doctorate programs in film and photography
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Frequently asked questions
How much do film and photography graduates earn?
Graduates of the typical master's program earned a median of $39,098 one year after finishing, in 2024 dollars.
How much debt do film and photography graduate students take on?
The typical program's graduates who borrowed left with a median of $81,617 in federal loans taken at that school. Undergraduate loans are not included.
Undergraduate: Film and photography major
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field of study file, data release of October 15, 2026. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working, not enrolled. One-year figures: graduates of 2020-21 and 2021-22, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Four-year figures: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. More on the data.