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Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Illinois

2023 Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Illinois

9 Colleges
$22,157 Avg Salary
$28,321 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts School for You

Film, Video & Photographic Arts is the #61 most popular major in Illinois with 535 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 9 schools in Illinois to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Illinois

Check out the film programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top Illinois Schools in Film, Video & Photographic Arts

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Our analysis found Northwestern University to be the best school for film, video and photographic arts students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

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The excellent programs at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best film, video and photographic arts schools in Illinois. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Full Film, Video & Photographic Arts at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report

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#3

Bradley University

Peoria, IL

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bradley University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Illinois list. Located in the midsize city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

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#4

DePaul University

Chicago, IL

Out of the 9 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, DePaul University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that film majors at DePaul take out is $24,970. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $609.

Full Film, Video & Photographic Arts at DePaul University Report

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Columbia College Chicago. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their degree, film majors at Columbia accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $548.

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University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best film, video and photographic arts programs. UIC is a very large public school located in the city of Chicago.

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#7

Millikin University

Decatur, IL

With a ranking of #7, Millikin University did quite well on this year’s best schools for film, video and photographic arts students. Located in the small city of Decatur, Millikin is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for film, video and photographic arts students. It came in at #8 on the list. SIUC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Carbondale.

While working on their degree, film majors at SIUC accumulate an average of around $20,929 in student debt.

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#9

American Academy of Art

Chicago, IL

American Academy of Art did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for film, video and photographic arts students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the city of Chicago, The Academy is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 415
Ohio 299
Indiana 78
Wisconsin 166

One of 10 majors within the area of study, film, video and photographic arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 37,413
Design & Applied Arts 36,301
Music 25,910
Drama & Theater Arts 17,341
General Visual & Performing Arts 6,355

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 9 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 the rest 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.

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