Film/Video and Photographic Arts at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

At first glance, SIU-Carbondale's Film/Video and Photographic Arts program looks risky—starting salary of $21,322 ranks in just the 19th percentile nationally. But dig deeper and you'll find something unusual: graduates see 51% earnings growth by year four, jumping to $32,289. That's remarkable trajectory for a creative field where many programs plateau early. Combined with below-average debt ($19,500 versus $25,000 nationally), the program offers better value than the initial numbers suggest.

The program sits squarely middle-of-the-pack among Illinois schools at the 40th percentile, slightly trailing the state median of $23,905. You're not getting DePaul's slight earnings edge here, but you're also borrowing $5,200 less than the typical Illinois film graduate. For a highly selective program at an accessible state school (90% admission rate), that's a reasonable tradeoff—especially given that strong four-year earnings growth.

The reality check: this is still a film degree with tough early-career economics. That first year at $21,000 will be financially tight. But if your student is committed to the field and understands they're playing the long game, SIU-Carbondale provides a lower-debt path with genuine upward mobility built in. The key question is whether they can weather those lean early years.