Film/Video and Photographic Arts at Texas State University

Texas State's film program vastly outperforms the typical film degree—graduates earn $33,610 their first year, crushing the national median of $25,173 and landing in the 95th percentile nationwide. That's a significant achievement for a program that's often derided as financially risky. The debt load of $26,864 sits below the 30th percentile nationally, creating a manageable 0.80 debt-to-earnings ratio that beats most creative fields. By year four, earnings climb to $38,157, showing 14% growth rather than the stagnation common in visual arts careers.

Within Texas, this program hits exactly the state median, which matters since in-state tuition makes Texas State particularly affordable for residents. Among the dozen Texas schools offering this major, the combination of strong national performance and reasonable debt makes this one of the more practical film degree options. The 89% admission rate means this outcome is accessible without the pressure cooker admissions of elite film schools.

The major caveat: fewer than 30 graduates in this dataset means individual circumstances heavily influence these numbers. One successful cinematographer or production company hire can skew small-sample averages. Still, even accounting for volatility, the pattern here suggests Texas State has built genuine industry connections or curriculum advantages. For parents worried about funding a film degree, this represents one of the safer bets in the field—though "safer" in film still means accepting more financial risk than engineering or nursing.