UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a undergraduate certificate or diploma in Film/Video and Photographic Arts worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 15 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$33,622 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$33,622Median year-4 earnings
$22,317Average institution net-price context
$9,830Median federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$33,622Typical earnings four years after completion
$27,443Average earnings five years after completion
$9,830Typical federal student debt
16thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
1,153Degrees awarded in 2024–25
12College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 8 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Film/Video and Photographic Arts
How much do Film/Video and Photographic Arts undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates earn?
The national median is $33,622 four years after completion across reportable undergraduate certificate or diploma programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $9,830. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Film/Video and Photographic Arts?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $25,097 to $34,831 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Film/Video and Photographic Arts?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 6 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
CURRENT VIEW
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $33,622
- Federal debt
- $9,830
- Programs in the comparison
- 15
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $32,202
- Federal debt
- $18,521
- Programs in the comparison
- 15
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $44,232
- Federal debt
- $25,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 162
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $52,729
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 22
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$25,097National median$33,62275th percentile$34,831
12 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Minneapolis Community and Technical College
$40,579 four years after completionMinneapolis, MN · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtFlorida Institute of Recording Sound and Technology
$7,853 among completer borrowersOrlando, FL · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classFull Sail University
652 reported awards in 2024–25Winter Park, FL · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$38,787Observed year-4 earnings$19,313
Minneapolis Community and Technical College$13,812 price · $40,579 earningsSeattle Film Institute$41,595 price · $38,787 earningsBoise State University$21,610 price · $37,111 earningsSavannah Technical College$6,114 price · $34,831 earningsNashville Film Institute$25,472 price · $34,240 earningsNew York Film Academy$39,011 price · $31,769 earningsIllinois Media School$27,238 price · $31,567 earningsWest Los Angeles College$9,634 price · $25,097 earningsMediaTech Institute-Dallas$18,873 price · $24,786 earningsColegio de Cinematografia Artes y Television$1,460 price · $19,313 earnings
$1,460Annual college-wide average net price$39,011
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
14 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 14 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Minneapolis Community and Technical College$40,5792Seattle Film Institute$38,7873Boise State University$37,1114Savannah Technical College$34,8315Nashville Film Institute$34,2406Florida Institute of Recording Sound and Technology$33,6687New York Film Academy$31,7698Illinois Media School$31,5679West Los Angeles College$25,09710MediaTech Institute-Dallas$24,786Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$78,620 median wage93,560 jobs nationwide+2.2% projected growth through 2035 · 8,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$47,570–$163,350 typical wage rangeProducers and Directors$90,360 median wage143,120 jobs nationwide+4.0% projected growth through 2035 · 12,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$45,780–$198,540 typical wage rangeFilm and Video Editors$75,420 median wage25,610 jobs nationwide+3.7% projected growth through 2035 · 3,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$40,280–$148,550 typical wage rangeCamera Operators, Television, Video, and Film$74,990 median wage21,550 jobs nationwide+1.3% projected growth through 2035 · 2,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$38,520–$135,180 typical wage rangeCommunications Teachers, Postsecondary$78,580 median wage29,420 jobs nationwide+2.1% projected growth through 2035 · 2,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$47,590–$143,720 typical wage rangePhotographers$44,660 median wage51,760 jobs nationwide-0.7% projected growth through 2035 · 10,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$30,820–$91,810 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.