Documentary Production
CIP Code: 50.0607A documentary production degree prepares graduates for careers in Producers and directors, Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary, Communications teachers, postsecondary and more. 14 colleges and universities offer this program.
Annual Degrees Awarded
88
Colleges Offering
14
Avg. Career Salary
$76,252
Top Career Salary
$83,480
Documentary Production Salary by College
Nationally, bachelor’s graduates in this field earn a median $43,765 four years after graduating (middle half: $25,957–$63,381). Where you study it matters: across 144 colleges with reported results, pay ranges from $28,275 to $78,034.
Sort by:
| # | College | 4 yrs after | Wage-adjusted | 1 yr after | Median debt | Outcome Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA | $78,034 | $80,781 | $51,772 | $24,125 | C+ |
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | $70,963 | $64,572 | $29,011 | $15,000 | A+ |
| 3 | Chapman University Orange, CA | $66,494 | $60,505 | $35,795 | $18,500 | B+ |
| 5 | Rutgers University-Newark Newark, NJ | $63,679 | $55,890 | $38,508 | $23,250 | B+ |
| 4 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ | $63,679 | $55,890 | $38,508 | $23,250 | A |
| 6 | Seattle University Seattle, WA | $62,385 | $57,381 | $30,256 | $23,800 | A |
| 7 | Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA | $61,500 | $55,961 | $24,561 | $22,625 | A |
| 8 | Tufts University Medford, MA | $59,960 | $52,801 | $56,418 | — | A+ |
| 9 | New York University New York, NY | $58,720 | $55,889 | $23,869 | $20,500 | A+ |
| 10 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | $58,623 | $53,343 | $34,187 | $19,500 | A+ |
| 11 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA | $57,999 | $52,775 | $19,258 | $17,500 | A |
| 12 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | $57,059 | $60,162 | $25,565 | $19,024 | A+ |
| 13 | Marymount Manhattan College New York, NY | $55,285 | $52,620 | $25,014 | $26,851 | F |
| 14 | Fordham University Bronx, NY | $54,738 | $52,099 | $36,704 | $25,000 | A+ |
| 15 | Syracuse University Syracuse, NY | $54,115 | $51,506 | $26,331 | $26,875 | A |
| 16 | Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Norton, MA | $54,106 | $47,646 | $28,498 | $24,250 | B |
| 17 | Brigham Young University Provo, UT | $53,695 | $50,890 | $25,506 | $11,894 | A |
| 18 | Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY | $52,970 | $50,416 | $28,858 | $27,000 | A |
| 19 | University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA | $52,699 | $47,953 | $24,840 | $20,472 | B+ |
| 20 | American University Washington, DC | $52,661 | $46,145 | $26,767 | $22,000 | A |
| 21 | Pace University New York, NY | $52,368 | $49,843 | $20,775 | $25,313 | B+ |
| 22 | Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN | $52,105 | $55,899 | — | $17,369 | A+ |
| 23 | Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT | $52,094 | $46,901 | $29,253 | $22,250 | A |
| 24 | University of Miami Coral Gables, FL | $52,032 | $55,381 | $35,485 | $17,500 | A+ |
| 25 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA | $51,423 | $46,792 | $21,397 | $16,000 | A |
| 26 | College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY | $51,363 | $48,887 | — | — | D |
| 27 | Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI | $51,278 | $50,504 | $17,701 | $27,000 | A |
| 28 | Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston, MA | $51,139 | $45,033 | $22,764 | $24,000 | F |
| 29 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | $50,904 | $46,319 | $29,696 | $16,082 | A+ |
| 30 | Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH | $50,871 | $46,857 | $33,578 | $20,834 | C |
| 31 | Montclair State University Montclair, NJ | $50,790 | $44,578 | $28,474 | $27,000 | C+ |
| 32 | University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD | $50,713 | $44,507 | — | — | A+ |
| 33 | Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH | $50,565 | $53,960 | — | $20,687 | A |
| 34 | University of Oregon Eugene, OR | $50,499 | $50,796 | $20,041 | $24,500 | B |
| 35 | Taylor University Upland, IN | $50,403 | $54,073 | — | — | B |
| 36 | Woodbury University Burbank, CA | $50,387 | $45,849 | $32,477 | $26,000 | B |
| 37 | George Mason University Fairfax, VA | $50,086 | $45,608 | $23,989 | $23,205 | B+ |
| 38 | University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MA | $50,008 | $44,037 | $31,886 | — | C+ |
| 39 | George Fox University Newberg, OR | $50,003 | $50,298 | $29,745 | $20,840 | B |
| 40 | Emerson College Boston, MA | $49,951 | $43,987 | $27,032 | $23,250 | C+ |
| 41 | Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA | $49,933 | $45,436 | $22,988 | $28,750 | B+ |
| 42 | University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA | $49,893 | $45,399 | $28,608 | $15,000 | A |
| 43 | University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT | $49,841 | $47,238 | $28,138 | $23,000 | B+ |
| 45 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ | $49,759 | $51,128 | $31,148 | $19,250 | B+ |
| 44 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ | $49,759 | $51,128 | $31,148 | $19,250 | B+ |
| 46 | Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI | $49,388 | $52,074 | $27,348 | $27,000 | C |
| 47 | University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO | $49,192 | $52,744 | $29,613 | $21,500 | A |
| 48 | Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ | $48,800 | $50,143 | $23,418 | $19,819 | C+ |
| 49 | The New School New York, NY | $48,557 | $46,216 | $21,523 | $25,000 | C |
| 50 | University of Toledo Toledo, OH | $48,250 | $51,490 | — | — | C |
| 51 | University of Iowa Iowa City, IA | $47,892 | $50,377 | $26,147 | $24,116 | A |
| 52 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN | $47,707 | $45,570 | $29,958 | $19,185 | A |
| 53 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA | $47,149 | $42,903 | $18,654 | $17,375 | B |
| 54 | Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles, CA | $47,091 | $42,850 | $25,835 | $26,188 | B |
| 55 | DePaul University Chicago, IL | $46,969 | $46,147 | $26,164 | $24,000 | B+ |
| 56 | California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA | $46,913 | $42,688 | $27,290 | $18,250 | C |
| 57 | Pratt Institute-Main Brooklyn, NY | $46,874 | $44,614 | $16,710 | $26,596 | C |
| 58 | DeSales University Center Valley, PA | $46,847 | $47,644 | $22,651 | $26,875 | B |
| 59 | CUNY City College New York, NY | $46,801 | $44,545 | $26,918 | — | B |
| 60 | Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA | $46,726 | $42,518 | $23,354 | $33,812 | F |
| 61 | Binghamton University Vestal, NY | $46,579 | $44,334 | $22,843 | — | A |
| 62 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY | $46,545 | $44,301 | $24,869 | — | B |
| 63 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Arcata, CA | $46,245 | $42,080 | $19,107 | $22,100 | F |
| 64 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FL | $46,180 | $49,153 | $31,689 | $20,538 | A |
| 65 | Huntington University Huntington, IN | $46,073 | $49,428 | $27,455 | $25,996 | C |
| 67 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus Madison, NJ | $45,958 | $40,337 | $22,311 | $25,000 | C |
| 66 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus Teaneck, NJ | $45,958 | $40,337 | $22,311 | $25,000 | C |
| 68 | University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA | $45,815 | $41,689 | $23,614 | $15,692 | B+ |
| 69 | Lesley University Cambridge, MA | $45,508 | $40,075 | $31,846 | $26,974 | D |
| 70 | Keene State College Keene, NH | $45,423 | $41,839 | $27,261 | $27,000 | D |
| 71 | Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI | $45,391 | $47,860 | $26,502 | $27,000 | C+ |
| 72 | Montana State University Bozeman, MT | $45,300 | $49,483 | $29,608 | $22,125 | C+ |
| 73 | Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA | $45,152 | $41,530 | $23,126 | $22,118 | C+ |
| 74 | University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI | $44,983 | $44,304 | $29,634 | $19,500 | B+ |
| 75 | Ithaca College Ithaca, NY | $44,829 | $42,668 | $23,782 | $24,899 | B |
| 76 | University of Hartford West Hartford, CT | $44,550 | $40,109 | $17,521 | $27,000 | C+ |
| 77 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI | $44,232 | $46,026 | $23,840 | $26,000 | C+ |
| 78 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ | $44,145 | $45,360 | $26,054 | $20,500 | B |
| 79 | CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY | $44,032 | $41,909 | $20,476 | $13,500 | C+ |
| 80 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA | $43,919 | $44,666 | $30,697 | $23,250 | A |
| 81 | Columbus College of Art & Design Columbus, OH | $43,661 | $46,593 | $28,994 | $27,000 | F |
| 82 | Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ | $43,469 | $44,665 | $29,094 | $27,068 | C |
| 83 | University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY | $43,285 | $41,198 | $26,630 | $18,861 | B+ |
| 84 | SUNY at Purchase College Purchase, NY | $43,265 | $41,179 | $18,128 | $25,695 | F |
| 85 | Maryland Institute College of Art Baltimore, MD | $43,227 | $37,937 | $17,500 | $27,000 | D |
| 86 | Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI | $43,186 | $45,535 | $22,011 | $27,000 | B |
| 87 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA | $43,025 | $39,178 | $20,512 | $22,500 | F |
| 88 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA | $42,980 | $43,711 | $19,758 | $24,239 | A+ |
| 89 | Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY | $42,956 | $40,885 | $28,028 | $17,993 | A |
| 90 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA | $42,526 | $43,249 | $24,345 | $21,500 | B+ |
| 91 | Georgia State University Atlanta, GA | $42,457 | $43,952 | $22,588 | $21,974 | D |
| 92 | California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA | $42,392 | $38,574 | $24,618 | $15,568 | C+ |
| 93 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV | $42,317 | $43,920 | $21,491 | $17,500 | C+ |
| 94 | The University of Tampa Tampa, FL | $42,090 | $44,799 | $26,641 | $20,500 | B |
| 95 | Belmont University Nashville, TN | $42,033 | $45,917 | $30,188 | $20,500 | B |
| 96 | Point Park University Pittsburgh, PA | $41,751 | $42,461 | — | $27,000 | D |
| 97 | Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA | $41,651 | $43,117 | $23,976 | $25,905 | D |
| 98 | Portland State University Portland, OR | $41,639 | $41,884 | $27,028 | $23,250 | C+ |
| 99 | Maine College of Art & Design Portland, ME | $41,600 | $44,210 | — | — | F |
| 100 | School of Visual Arts New York, NY | $41,271 | $39,281 | $20,312 | $27,000 | D |
| 101 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FL | $41,255 | $43,911 | $23,676 | $19,839 | B+ |
| 102 | Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL | $41,200 | $40,479 | $23,905 | $25,000 | F |
| 103 | University of Kansas Lawrence, KS | $41,191 | $42,763 | $28,289 | $24,000 | B+ |
| 104 | Ringling College of Art and Design Sarasota, FL | $41,024 | $43,665 | $18,551 | $27,000 | D |
| 105 | University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem, NC | $41,000 | $43,999 | $24,053 | $26,139 | D |
| 106 | University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC | $40,962 | $45,421 | $23,686 | $22,500 | A |
| 107 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL | $40,592 | $39,881 | $21,322 | $18,525 | C |
| 108 | California College of ASU Los Angeles, CA | $40,359 | $36,724 | $20,483 | $26,666 | F |
| 109 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK | $40,097 | $45,019 | $32,126 | $21,063 | A |
| 110 | Seattle Film Institute Seattle, WA | $39,976 | $36,769 | $30,789 | $12,000 | — |
| 111 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO | $39,720 | $37,146 | $22,601 | $19,500 | B+ |
| 112 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green, OH | $39,707 | $42,373 | $19,803 | $26,000 | C |
| 113 | Texas State University San Marcos, TX | $39,473 | $40,132 | $33,610 | $25,239 | C+ |
| 114 | Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA | $39,404 | $36,243 | $25,090 | — | C |
| 115 | Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI | $39,082 | $41,207 | $25,256 | $24,499 | B |
| 116 | Stevenson University Owings Mills, MD | $38,813 | $34,063 | $25,690 | $27,000 | C+ |
| 117 | State University of New York at Oswego Oswego, NY | $38,429 | $36,576 | $22,682 | $22,500 | C |
| 118 | Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA | $37,958 | $34,564 | $23,109 | $24,125 | C |
| 119 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces, NM | $37,880 | $43,859 | $25,344 | $16,250 | F |
| 120 | Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH | $37,745 | $40,280 | $22,263 | $26,000 | C |
| 121 | University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR | $37,484 | $44,172 | $26,939 | $19,500 | C |
| 122 | Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN | $37,274 | $40,718 | $28,202 | $18,797 | C |
| 123 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA | $37,066 | $37,696 | $28,634 | $22,906 | A |
| 124 | John Brown University Siloam Springs, AR | $36,796 | $43,361 | — | $21,500 | B+ |
| 125 | Clayton State University Morrow, GA | $36,510 | $37,795 | $15,952 | $19,840 | D |
| 126 | Minnesota State University Moorhead Moorhead, MN | $36,495 | $34,861 | — | $22,000 | D |
| 127 | The University of Montana Missoula, MT | $36,169 | $39,509 | $24,679 | $25,011 | D |
| 128 | Champlain College Burlington, VT | $35,945 | $36,918 | $21,092 | $27,000 | B |
| 129 | John Paul the Great Catholic University Escondido, CA | $35,917 | $32,682 | $27,221 | $26,078 | C |
| 130 | College for Creative Studies Detroit, MI | $35,797 | $37,744 | $24,350 | $27,000 | D |
| 131 | Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN | $35,421 | $33,835 | $26,332 | — | C |
| 132 | Webster University Saint Louis, MO | $35,407 | $37,964 | $19,071 | $22,475 | C+ |
| 133 | Miami Dade College Miami, FL | $35,402 | $37,681 | $20,611 | — | B+ |
| 134 | Wayne State University Detroit, MI | $35,157 | $37,069 | — | $21,400 | C+ |
| 135 | Los Angeles Film School Hollywood, CA | $35,151 | $31,985 | $22,596 | $38,500 | F |
| 136 | Wright State University-Main Campus Dayton, OH | $34,673 | $37,001 | $24,617 | $27,000 | C |
| 137 | Kansas City Art Institute Kansas City, MO | $34,253 | $36,726 | $22,619 | $27,000 | F |
| 138 | University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC | $34,184 | $36,684 | $22,315 | $20,500 | B |
| 139 | Full Sail University Winter Park, FL | $33,579 | $35,741 | $24,078 | $25,923 | D |
| 141 | American InterContinental University System Chandler, AZ | $32,318 | $33,207 | — | — | F |
| 140 | American InterContinental University-Atlanta Atlanta, GA | $32,318 | $33,456 | — | — | F |
| 142 | University of Vermont Burlington, VT | $32,100 | $32,969 | — | — | B+ |
| 143 | California Institute of the Arts Valencia, CA | $29,426 | $26,776 | $28,247 | $27,000 | F |
| 144 | New York Film Academy Burbank, CA | $28,275 | $25,728 | $16,415 | $30,750 | F |
Bachelor’s degrees. Wage-adjusted = pay ÷ √(state wage index). Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data.
What Can You Do With a Documentary Production Degree?
Graduates with this degree pursue careers in the following fields:
$76,252
Average Salary Across Careers
$83,480
Highest Paying Career
5
Career Paths Available
Best Colleges for Documentary Production
Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees awarded. These are the top-rated colleges that produce the most graduates in documentary production.
| # | College | Location | Degrees Awarded | Repit Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | 8 | A |
| 2 | Wake Forest University | Winston-Salem, NC | 11 | B+ |
| 3 | University of Miami | Coral Gables, FL | 3 | B+ |
| 4 | University of California-Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz, CA | 8 | B |
| 5 | The New School | New York, NY | 7 | B |
| 6 | Spelman College | Atlanta, GA | 5 | B |
| 7 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA | 1 | B |
| 8 | Utah Tech University | Saint George, UT | 15 | C+ |
| 9 | New York Film Academy | Burbank, CA | 14 | C+ |
| 10 | Ithaca College | Ithaca, NY | 6 | C+ |
| 11 | Missouri State University-Springfield | Springfield, MO | 5 | C+ |
| 12 | Mount Saint Mary's University | Los Angeles, CA | 1 | C+ |
| 13 | The University of Montana | Missoula, MT | 1 | C+ |
| 14 | Columbia College Chicago | Chicago, IL | 3 | C |
Largest Programs
Program size data is being calculated. Check back soon!
88
Degrees Awarded Annually
14
Colleges Offering Program
5
Related Careers
About Documentary Production
Documentary Production is a degree program offered at 14 colleges and universities across the United States. Each year, approximately 88 students graduate with this degree.
Graduates with this degree can pursue careers such as producers and directors, art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary, communications teachers, postsecondary, film and video editors, camera operators, television, video, and film.
Program Classification
CIP Code
50.0607
Field (2-digit CIP)
50
Category (4-digit CIP)
50.06
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do with a Documentary Production degree?
A Documentary Production degree can lead to careers as a
producers and directors, art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary, communications teachers, postsecondary, film and video editors, camera operators, television, video, and film,
and more.
Top earners in related careers can make up to $83,480 annually.
How many colleges offer Documentary Production?
14 colleges and universities in the United States offer
Documentary Production as a degree program. Each year, approximately 88
students graduate with this degree.
What are the best colleges for Documentary Production?
The best colleges for Documentary Production based on Repit's ratings include
Northwestern University, Wake Forest University, University of Miami, University of California-Santa Cruz, The New School.
Rankings are based on the college's overall Repit grade and the number of degrees awarded in this program.
What is the salary potential with a Documentary Production degree?
Graduates with a Documentary Production degree can expect average salaries around $76,252
in related careers, with top earners making up to $83,480.
Actual salaries depend on the specific career path, experience level, and location.