Film/Video and Photographic Arts at The New School

Earning just $21,523 in the first year after graduation from The New School's film program means your child would be taking home roughly $1,800 per month—before accounting for student loan payments on $25,829 in debt. In New York City, where a bedroom in a shared apartment runs $1,200-1,500, this creates an immediate financial crisis. While film is notoriously underpaid early in careers, this program underperforms: it ranks in just the 20th percentile nationally and sits below the median even among New York's 39 film programs, where graduates typically earn $23,826.

The comparison to other New York schools is revealing. Fordham film graduates earn 70% more in their first year, and even CUNY City College—a public option with far lower tuition—produces graduates earning $26,918. The New School's modest debt load ($25,829 versus a national median of $25,000) doesn't offset the earnings disadvantage. Your child would be repaying loans at roughly the same level as peers nationwide while earning significantly less.

If your child is set on film school in New York, there are demonstrably better options. If they're committed to The New School specifically, understand this is a program where family financial support during the first few years post-graduation isn't optional—it's essential to making the economics work while they build their career.