Bachelor's · Buffalo, New York

Is Film/Video and Photographic Arts at University at Buffalo worth it?

Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.

The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans

Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 13.3 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating: $36,189; Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating: $46,493; Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation: $16,750; NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families: $92k (likely $92k – $118k); AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4: $9k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in NY; 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback: 13.3 years (likely 9.2–20+); Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return: −$196k (likely −$268k – −$136k); Today's dollars
20-year net return: −$71k (likely −$193k – $74k); Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide): 73%; 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 University at Buffalo

Dentistry (First professional)$198,110
Pharmacology and Toxicology (Doctoral)$180,229
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral)$156,779
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First professional)$137,101
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral)$126,513
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$114,480
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral)$112,025
Chemistry (Doctoral)$109,414
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$109,221
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's)$106,183
Computer Science (Bachelor's)$105,160
Chemical Engineering (Master's)$102,730

Film/Video and Photographic Arts at other schools in New York

New York University$58,720
Marymount Manhattan College$55,285
Fordham University$54,738
Syracuse University$54,115
Rochester Institute of Technology$52,970
Pace University$52,368
College of Staten Island CUNY$51,363
The New School$48,557
Pratt Institute-Main$46,874
CUNY City College$46,801