Film/Video and Photographic Arts at Community College of Aurora

The small sample size here demands caution, but the pattern is worth understanding: Community College of Aurora's film program starts graduates at around $20,500—barely above minimum wage—yet saddles them with debt equal to their entire first year's salary. While this program ranks at the 60th percentile among Colorado film programs, that's largely because the state has only five options and they're mostly clustered near the bottom nationally. The 38th national percentile tells the real story: this performs below most film programs across the country.

The 65% earnings jump by year four offers some hope, though $34,000 still requires careful budgeting when you're managing $20,750 in debt. For context, the low national debt percentile (25th) means most film grads nationwide carry even more debt—though that's cold comfort when your child is struggling to make rent in Aurora on entry-level wages.

If your child is set on film production, this Associate's might work as a stepping stone if they live at home and minimize borrowing. But given the tough first-year economics and the small graduating classes (suggesting limited industry connections), they'd need a clear plan for either transferring to build credentials or landing steady production work immediately. Without that plan, $20,750 in debt for $20,500 in earnings creates a precarious financial start.