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2027 Best Value Commercial Photography Schools in Illinois

[Commercial Photography](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/commercial-photography/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong commercial photography education at a price that pays off.

For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for commercial photography students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Commercial Photography Schools in Illinois

2027 Best Value Commercial Photography Schools in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in commercial photography, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Commercial Photography Schools

1

College Of Dupage
Glen Ellyn, IL

$4,560 In-State Tuition & Fees

$11,077 Avg Student Debt

$46,909 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in commercial photography, no school beat College Of Dupage this year. College Of Dupage is a very large public school located in the suburb of Glen Ellyn. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,560, while out-of-state students pay about $12,750. Typical student debt for commercial photography graduates is $11,077. Soon after graduation, commercial photography degree recipients from College Of Dupage generally make around $43,025. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.

2

Harper College
Palatine, IL

$3,894 In-State Tuition & Fees

$10,963 Avg Student Debt

$48,071 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in commercial photography will find it at Harper College, which ranked #2. Harper College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Palatine. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,894, with out-of-state students paying around $11,874. Typical student debt for commercial photography graduates is $10,963. Commercial Photography graduates of Harper College earn a median of $44,523 early in their careers. Set against $10,963 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.

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Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.