2023 Best Value Colleges for Photography (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
17
Ranked Colleges
249
Degrees Awarded
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 2,184 people earned their degree in photography, making the major the 310th most popular in the United States.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 249 photography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 17 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the photography program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 17 Best Value Colleges for Photography (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oakland University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Oakland University is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oakland, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $12,008 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Photography at Oakland University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s photography degrees to qualified students.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $11,505 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UIUC Photography Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Valley State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. GVSU is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 14 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
GVSU also made our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $15,277 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Photography at Grand Valley State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s photography degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,105 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIC.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Chicago Photography Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ferris State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Ferris is a fairly large school located in Big Rapids, Michigan that handed out 7 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
Ferris did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ferris State University is $13,230 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Photography at Ferris
Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 4 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
Youngstown State University also made our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $13,754 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read more about Photography at Youngstown State University
With a ranking of #7, Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. OHIO Athens is a public institution located in Athens, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at OHIO Athens, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for OHIO Athens is $23,509 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Photography Report
Bradley University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Bradley is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 1 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region photography students whose families make $48-$75k list, Bradley has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $23,286 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.
Full Bradley University Photography Report
University of Akron Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Akron, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s photography degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
University of Akron Main Campus also made our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $18,860 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read more about Photography at University of Akron Main Campus
University of Dayton landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dayton, Ohio, and it awarded 4 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
UDayton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Dayton is $25,633 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Full University of Dayton Photography Report
Grace College and Theological Seminary landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Grace College and Theological Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Winona Lake, Indiana. It awarded 5 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
Grace College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Grace College is $18,727 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Grace College and Theological Seminary Photography Report
Columbia College Chicago ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Columbia College Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 44 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region photography students whose families make $48-$75k list, Columbia has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Chicago is $26,626 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Photography at Columbia College Chicago
Columbus College of Art and Design ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s photography degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.
CCAD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend CCAD is $26,377 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $48-$75k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Photography at CCAD
Art Academy of Cincinnati came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s photography degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
AAC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Art Academy of Cincinnati is $26,023 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full AAC Photography Report
Cleveland Institute of Art ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 4 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
CIA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $33,082 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cleveland Institute of Art.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cleveland Institute of Art Photography Report
With a ranking of #16, College for Creative Studies did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 degrees to qualified ’s photography students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CCS, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CCS is $32,671 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Photography at College for Creative Studies
American Academy of Art came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. American Academy of Art is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s photography degrees to qualified students.
The Academy did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $26,904 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The Academy.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Photography at American Academy of Art
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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
- *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.
