2027 Best Value Photography Schools in Virginia
[Photography](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/film-video-and-photographic-arts/photography/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong 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 photography students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Photography Schools in Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in photography, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Photography Schools
Northern Virginia Community College earned the #1 spot for value among photography schools in Virginia. Located in the suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,891, with out-of-state students paying around $12,410. Students borrow a median of $14,413 to complete the photography program here. Soon after graduation, photography degree recipients from Northern Virginia Community College generally make around $40,126. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Virginia Commonwealth University earned it the #2 place for photography. Virginia Commonwealth University is a very large public school located in the city of Richmond. In-state tuition and fees average $16,720, while out-of-state students pay about $39,884. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the photography program here. Photography graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University earn a median of $23,109 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, 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.
