Film/Video and Photographic Arts at Georgia State University

Georgia State's film program starts rough but tells an unusual story of recovery. That $22,588 first-year salary ranks below both national and state medians—concerning for a degree from a flagship urban university. But by year four, earnings jump to $36,668, a 62% increase that suggests graduates are finding their footing in Atlanta's growing film industry or pivoting to adjacent creative roles.

Within Georgia, this program sits in the middle of the pack at the 40th percentile, well behind Kennesaw State's $51,772 but substantially ahead of Clayton State. The debt load of $25,755 is actually slightly lower than the state median, meaning the financial burden is relatively manageable compared to peers. That 1.14 debt-to-earnings ratio looks intimidating at first glance, but it's based on that depressed first-year number—not the trajectory graduates actually experience.

The real question is whether your child can weather that difficult first year or two. Half of students here receive Pell grants, so this isn't a program catering to families with deep safety nets. If your student needs immediate earnings to service debt, this is risky. But if they can supplement income early while building a portfolio or industry connections, the four-year picture shows this investment eventually pays off—just not on a traditional timeline.