Bachelor's · Richmond, Virginia
Is Film/Video and Photographic Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University worth it?
Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Graduates typically don't earn back the cost within 20 years, compared with the no-degree baseline.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $32,159
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $40,771
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $17,875
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $106k (likely $106k – $140k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $2k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in VA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- Not within 20 years in most scenarios
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$296k (likely −$379k – −$250k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$257k (likely −$358k – −$146k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 65%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 20%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
Change income, residency or loans Compare Film/Video and Photographic Arts at other schools
🎨 Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward art, design & performance majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP 2-D Art and Design
- AP Drawing
- AP Art History
- AP Music Theory
IB Higher Level
- Visual Arts HL
- Music HL or Theatre HL or Film HL
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at Virginia Commonwealth University
- Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Master's)$336,392
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral)$206,527
- Dentistry (First professional)$197,507
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's)$136,353
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First professional)$135,859
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's)$134,661
- Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Graduate certificate)$119,836
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$118,521
- Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$118,273
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$116,932
- Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's)$114,150
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral)$108,580
Film/Video and Photographic Arts at other schools in Virginia
- George Mason University$50,086
- Liberty University$43,025