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2026 Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Iowa

[Film, Video & Photographic Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/film-video-and-photographic-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for film, video & photographic arts students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Iowa

2026 Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Iowa

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in film, video & photographic arts, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools

1

Des Moines Area Community College
Ankeny, IA

$5,790 In-State Tuition & Fees

$14,956 Avg Student Debt

$41,018 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked Des Moines Area Community College the best value for a degree in film, video & photographic arts in Iowa. Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Ankeny. In-state tuition and fees average $5,790, while out-of-state students pay about $6,690. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates carry a median of $14,956 in student loans. Early-career film, video & photographic arts graduates make about $43,121. That is a strong return on a $14,956 median debt.

2

University Of Iowa
Iowa City, IA

$11,283 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,000 Avg Student Debt

$64,762 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes University Of Iowa one of the best values for film, video & photographic arts. Located in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,283, with out-of-state students paying around $33,371. Typical student debt for film, video & photographic arts graduates is $25,000. Film, Video & Photographic Arts graduates of University Of Iowa earn a median of $26,147 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.

View All Film, Video & Photographic Arts Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.