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# Best Film, Video and Photographic Arts Programs in Michigan

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Art & Design Colleges in Michigan](/rankings/best-art-and-design-colleges-in-michigan/)

This page ranks the 8 Film, Video and Photographic Arts programs in Michigan by median earnings of Film, Video and Photographic Arts graduates four years after completing. [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/majors/) leads the list at $57,059, and the figures range from $57,059 down to $26,353, with a median of $41,134 across the listed schools.

For 1 of the 8 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

Public institutions account for 7 of the 8 schools, with 1 private nonprofit program on the list. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and Oakland University posts the lowest average net price at $9,120.

## The ranked list

8 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $57,059 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
|  | [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/majors/) reports [median earnings of $57,059](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/outcomes/) for its Film, Video and Photographic Arts graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 16%. |
| 2 | Eastern Michigan University · Ypsilanti, MI | $49,388 | $15,407 | $13,250 | 79.6% |
|  | [Eastern Michigan University](/school/eastern-michigan-university/majors/) ranks 2nd on this list, with a [median federal debt of $27,000](/school/eastern-michigan-university/cost/) among Film, Video and Photographic Arts completers who borrowed. |
| 3 | Western Michigan University · Kalamazoo, MI | $45,391 | $15,273 | $5,263 | 84.6% |
|  | [Western Michigan University](/school/western-michigan-university/majors/) posts an [average net price of $15,273](/school/western-michigan-university/cost/) and a median of $45,391 for its Film, Video and Photographic Arts graduates four years after completing. |
| 4 | Oakland University · Rochester Hills, MI | $43,186 | $9,120 | $4,422 | 87.8% |
|  | [Oakland University](/school/oakland-university/majors/) carries an [average net price of $4,422](/school/oakland-university/cost/) for families earning under $30,000, and ranks 147th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 5 | Grand Valley State University · Allendale, MI | $39,082 | $16,317 | $12,272 | 83.0% |
|  | [Grand Valley State University](/school/grand-valley-state-university/majors/) shows 79 graduates in the earnings cohort and a [median of $39,082](/school/grand-valley-state-university/outcomes/) four years after completing. |
| 6 | College for Creative Studies · Detroit, MI | $35,797 | $34,617 | $30,267 | 91.9% |
|  | College for Creative Studies, a private nonprofit institution, admits 92% of applicants and reports median earnings of $35,797 for its Film, Video and Photographic Arts graduates four years after completing. |
| 7 | Wayne State University · Detroit, MI | $35,157 | $12,766 | $11,090 | 81.2% |
|  | [Wayne State University](/school/wayne-state-university/majors/) [ranks 80th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/wayne-state-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, with a median federal debt of $21,400 among Film, Video and Photographic Arts completers who borrowed. |
| 8 | Northern Michigan University · Marquette, MI | $26,353 | $14,085 | $7,697 | 84.0% |
|  | [Northern Michigan University](/school/northern-michigan-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $26,353](/school/northern-michigan-university/outcomes/) for its Film, Video and Photographic Arts graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $14,085. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Photography graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in Michigan appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 1 of the 8 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost of attendance, or differences in who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 8 schools with a published figure. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor leads Eastern Michigan University by $7,671, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $30,706.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Colleges in Michigan](/rankings/best-colleges-in-michigan/)
-   [Best Art & Design Colleges in Michigan](/rankings/best-art-and-design-colleges-in-michigan/)
-   Art & Design Colleges in Michigan for Social Mobility