ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Film/Video and Photographic Arts worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 15 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$253,819 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−202%Estimated return after 10 years
$32,202Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$217,980
$8,000Annual price−$233,980
$16,000Annual price−$249,980
$18,000Current college-wide context−$253,980
$24,000Annual price−$265,980
$32,000Annual price−$281,980
$40,000Annual price−$297,980
Outcomes at a glance
$32,202Typical earnings four years after completion
$33,663Average earnings five years after completion
$18,521Typical federal student debt
5thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
15College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 1 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 associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $32,202 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $18,521. 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 $29,061 to $37,661 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.
OPEN PROFILE
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$29,061National median$32,20275th percentile$37,661
15 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
Academy of Art University
$42,221 four years after completionSan Francisco, CA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtOklahoma City Community College
$9,043 among completer borrowersOklahoma City, OK · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classSouthern New Hampshire University
107 reported awards in 2024–25Manchester, NH · 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.
$41,654Observed year-4 earnings$19,450
Academy of Art University$40,613 price · $42,221 earningsMinneapolis Community and Technical College$13,812 price · $41,654 earningsScottsdale Community College$13,336 price · $40,864 earningsOklahoma City Community College$4,739 price · $40,029 earningsCommunity College of Aurora$8,656 price · $37,661 earningsDaytona State College$7,177 price · $34,180 earningsValencia College$12,037 price · $33,162 earningsMiami Dade College$5,463 price · $32,202 earningsFashion Institute of Technology$19,095 price · $31,862 earningsSouthern New Hampshire University$36,708 price · $30,298 earningsLos Angeles Film School$30,980 price · $29,061 earningsFull Sail University$38,875 price · $24,816 earningsColegio de Cinematografia Artes y Television$1,460 price · $19,450 earnings
$1,460Annual college-wide average net price$38,875
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
13 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 13 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Academy of Art University$42,2212Minneapolis Community and Technical College$41,6543Scottsdale Community College$40,8644Oklahoma City Community College$40,0295Community College of Aurora$37,6616Daytona State College$34,1807Valencia College$33,1628Miami Dade College$32,2029Fashion Institute of Technology$31,86210Southern New Hampshire University$30,298Observed 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.