2027 Best Value Photography Master’s Degree Schools
[Photography](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/film-video-and-photographic-arts/photography/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong photography education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 16 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value photography schools.
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2027 Best Value Photography Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the photography degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Photography Schools
For return on investment in photography, no school beat Ohio University Main Campus this year. Set in the town of Athens, Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $14,158, while out-of-state students pay about $24,838. Typical student debt for photography graduates is $24,546. Early-career photography graduates make about $49,736. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Ohio University Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in photography will find it at Mount St Marys College, which ranked #2. Mount St Marys College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $49,564. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the photography program here. Soon after graduation, photography degree recipients from Mount St Marys College generally make around $58,110. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 73%.
A rank of #3 makes Yale University one of the best values for photography. Set in the city of New Haven, Yale University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $67,250 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for photography graduates is $14,357. Early-career photography graduates make about $74,578. Set against $14,357 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Yale University admits about 4% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in photography will find it at Columbia College Chicago, which ranked #4. Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,088. Photography graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Early-career photography graduates make about $35,483. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Columbia College Chicago admits about 90% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Rochester Institute Of Technology earned it the #5 place for photography. Rochester Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Rochester. Students from in state pay about $59,210 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for photography graduates is $27,000. Early-career photography graduates make about $28,858. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Rochester Institute Of Technology admits about 67% of applicants.
New York University placed #6 among the best values for photography. Set in the city of New York, New York University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $62,796 in tuition and fees. Photography graduates carry a median of $22,250 in student loans. Soon after graduation, photography degree recipients from New York University generally make around $15,801. Set against $22,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 9%.
Syracuse University landed the #7 spot for photography value this year. Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Syracuse. Students from in state pay about $65,528 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the photography program here. Soon after graduation, photography degree recipients from Syracuse University generally make around $26,331. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Syracuse University admits about 46% of applicants.
American University landed the #8 spot for photography value this year. Set in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $58,771 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for photography graduates is $23,250. Photography graduates of American University earn a median of $51,449 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 62%.
New York Film Academy came in at #9 for value in photography this year. New York Film Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Burbank. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $37,122. Photography graduates carry a median of $20,250 in student loans. Early-career photography graduates make about $16,854. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Academy Of Art University came in at #10 for value in photography this year. Academy Of Art University is a moderately-sized private for-profit school located in the city of San Francisco. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $30,736. Students borrow a median of $34,571 to complete the photography program here. Early-career photography graduates make about $41,911. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Maryland Institute College Of Art came in at #11 for value in photography this year. Set in the city of Baltimore, Maryland Institute College Of Art is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $56,800 in tuition and fees. Photography graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Photography graduates of Maryland Institute College Of Art earn a median of $17,500 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
California Institute Of The Arts came in at #12 for value in photography this year. Located in the suburb of Valencia, California Institute Of The Arts is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $58,996. Typical student debt for photography graduates is $27,000. Photography graduates of California Institute Of The Arts earn a median of $20,842 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. California Institute Of The Arts admits about 32% of applicants.
Savannah College Of Art And Design came in at #13 for value in photography this year. Savannah College Of Art And Design is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Savannah. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,630. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the photography program here. Early-career photography graduates make about $37,493. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Savannah College Of Art And Design admits about 83% of applicants.
Art Center College Of Design landed the #14 spot for photography value this year. Located in the city of Pasadena, Art Center College Of Design is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $54,170 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for photography graduates is $31,000. Early-career photography graduates make about $22,988. That is a strong return on a $31,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 74%.
School Of Visual Arts came in at #15 for value in photography this year. School Of Visual Arts is a mid-sized private for-profit school located in the city of New York. Students from in state pay about $51,400 in tuition and fees. Photography graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Photography graduates of School Of Visual Arts earn a median of $33,463 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
The New School ranked #16 on our 2027 list of the best value photography schools. Located in the city of New York, The New School is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $58,730. Students borrow a median of $25,829 to complete the photography program here. Early-career photography graduates make about $21,523. Set against $25,829 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 64% of applicants are accepted.
Other Photography Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare best-value Photography rankings across degree levels:
View All Photography Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 16 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
