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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Photography (Income $0-$30k)

87 Ranked Colleges
1,303 Degrees Awarded
$9,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 2,438 people earned their degree in photography, making the major the 291st most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,303 photography graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 87 colleges that offered a degree in photography. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality photography programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the photography program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The photography school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Photography (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 1 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also made our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $5,273 for Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WUSTL.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full WUSTL Photography Report

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 87 schools in the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 11 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $5,477 for Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Photography at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 87 schools in the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s photography degrees to qualified students.

UW Seattle also took the #6 spot in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,850 for bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Photography at UW Seattle

#4

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 1 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,483 for bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Photography Report

#25 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Central Florida. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. UCF is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s photography degrees to qualified students.

UCF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $6,211 for bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Photography at University of Central Florida

#9 in overall quality

Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. BYU is located in Provo, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s photography degrees to qualified students.

BYU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $8,834 for Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Photography at Brigham Young University - Provo

California State University - Sacramento ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s photography degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $6,819 for bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Photography at California State University - Sacramento

#8

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#21 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Grand Valley State University is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 10 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $0-$30k list, GVSU has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,578 for Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Grand Valley State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full GVSU Photography Report

#9

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

With a ranking of #9, Ferris State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ferris is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 1 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ferris is $7,207 for bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Photography at Ferris

#10

SUNY New Paltz

New Paltz, New York
#19 in overall quality

SUNY New Paltz ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in New Paltz, New York, this medium-sized public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s photography students in 2019-2020.

SUNY New Paltz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend SUNY New Paltz is $11,543 for Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Photography at SUNY New Paltz

#11

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York

With a ranking of #11, SUNY Fredonia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. SUNY Fredonia is a small school located in Fredonia, New York that handed out 1 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Fredonia is $10,770 for Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SUNY Fredonia Photography Report

Texas A&M University - Commerce came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Commerce, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s photography students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M Commerce is $10,013 for Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Photography at Texas A&M Commerce

University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UPR Rio Piedras is a public institution located in San Juan, . The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,337 for bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras.

Read more about Photography at UPR Rio Piedras

#14

University of Southern Maine

Portland, Maine

University of Southern Maine came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Southern Maine is located in Portland, Maine and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s photography degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Maine is $8,753 for bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Southern Maine Photography Report

#15

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $7,490 for Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Photography at Oakland

#16

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

University of Houston came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s photography degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $10,203 for Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Photography at University of Houston

#17

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

With a ranking of #17, Sam Houston State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sam Houston State University is a large public school situated in Huntsville, Texas. It awarded 4 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SHSU is $10,561 for Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Photography at SHSU

#18

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Northern Arizona University is a large public school situated in Flagstaff, Arizona. It awarded 27 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,251 for Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northern Arizona University.

Read more about Photography at NAU

#19

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Youngstown State University is located in Youngstown, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s photography degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $9,069 for bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Photography at Youngstown State University

#20

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Marcos, Texas, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,125 for Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas State University.

Read full report on Photography at Texas State

#21

Syracuse University

Syracuse, New York
#5 in overall quality

Syracuse University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Syracuse University is a large school located in Syracuse, New York that handed out 16 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

Syracuse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $17,164 for Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Syracuse.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Syracuse University Photography Report

#22

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia
#20 in overall quality

Virginia Commonwealth University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. VCU is a large school located in Richmond, Virginia that handed out 44 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $0-$30k list, VCU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for VCU is $16,768 for bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Photography at VCU

#23

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri

With a ranking of #23, Lindenwood University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Charles, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s photography degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lindenwood University is $14,388 for Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Photography at Lindenwood University

#24

Buffalo State

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo State did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Buffalo, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s photography degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Buffalo State is $9,347 for bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Photography at Buffalo State

#25

University of Oregon

Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. University of Oregon is located in Eugene, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s photography degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Oregon is $12,690 for bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Oregon Photography Report

#25

Purchase College

Purchase, New York

Purchase College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Purchase College is a public institution located in Purchase, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purchase College is $12,928 for Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Photography at Purchase College

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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