艺术类院校学生的毕业作品成本差异巨大，从数千元到数十万元不等[1]。北京电影学院、中央美术学院、四川美术学院等头部影视与美术类院校的学生投入尤其可观。其中，本科毕业短片的制作成本普遍在20万至30万元之间[1]。摄影专业学生王婧岚耗时3年完成作品《21世纪巴别塔》，花费达20万元[1]；导演专业学生张然的毕业短片成本为1.2万元，而商业剧组同样项目需要10万元[1]。极端案例显示，李家和仅用5000元完成的毕业作品《地儿》入围了第75届戛纳国际电影节[1]。
学校层面提供的资金支持力度不均。北京电影学院本科生可申请"毕业联合作品"获"青年电影制片厂"资金扶持[1]，中国美术学院为毕业生提供数百到上千元的资助[1]，而南通理工大学的艺术类学生毕设预算仅为200元[1]。毕业展览对学生发展影响深远，2025年四川美术学院毕业展全展期吸引75万人次观展[1]，中央美术学院毕业展每日近1.5万人次参观[1]。
The financial investment required for art students to complete their graduation projects spans a dramatic range, from thousands to hundreds of thousands of yuan, according to surveys of major Chinese art academies. [1] At Beijing Film Academy, a student named Zhang Ran produced a graduation short film for 12,000 yuan, a project that would cost 100,000 yuan in a commercial film production setting. [1] Similarly, Li Jiahé completed a graduation work titled "The Place" with a budget of merely 5,000 yuan, which was selected for the 75th Cannes Film Festival. [1] In contrast, Wang Jinglan spent three years and 200,000 yuan on her photography series "21st Century Tower of Babel," while Deng Yangchen's undergraduate graduation short film required over 200,000 yuan in production costs. [1] Directors in top-tier film schools typically allocate between 200,000 to 300,000 yuan for graduation projects. [1]
Art schools have implemented various support mechanisms to assist students with these substantial costs. Beijing Film Academy undergraduates can apply for funding through the "Graduation Collaborative Works" program, which provides financial support from the "Youth Film Production Factory." [1] The China Academy of Art offers students subsidies ranging from several hundred to over 1,000 yuan, while Nantong University of Science and Technology allocated 200 yuan per art student for graduation project budgets. [1] Major graduation exhibitions have demonstrated the cultural impact of these student works: the 2025 graduation exhibition at Sichuan Fine Art Institute attracted 750,000 visitors throughout its entire run, while the Central Academy of Fine Arts graduation show drew nearly 15,000 daily visitors. [1]