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by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2021-2022, 2,175 people earned their degree in photography, making the major the 310th most popular in the United States.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,269 photography graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,724 and $23,030 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major” ranking, we looked at 126 colleges that offer a degree in photography. That schools that top this list have a program in photography in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbus College of Art and Design. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. CCAD is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s photography degrees to qualified students.
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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Moore College of Art and Design. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major. This small school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend School of Visual Arts. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s photography degrees to 79 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
With a ranking of #6, Art Academy of Cincinnati did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. Art Academy of Cincinnati is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 4 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Photography at Art Academy of Cincinnati
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It awarded 6 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 Pennsylvania College of Art and Design Photography Report
Massachusetts College of Art and Design landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s photography degrees to 12 students in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Photography at Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Pacific Northwest College of Art ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. Pacific Northwest College of Art is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Portland, Oregon. It awarded 5 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 more about Photography at Pacific Northwest College of Art
The University of the Arts landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. The University of the Arts is a small school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 6 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 87%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
With a ranking of #11, Kansas City Art Institute did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. Kansas City Art Institute is a small school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 6 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Photography at Kansas City Art Institute
California Institute of the Arts came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. CalArts is a small school located in Valencia, California that handed out 13 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Read more about Photography at California Institute of the Arts
College for Creative Studies did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking, coming in at #13. College for Creative Studies is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 13 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #14, Minneapolis College of Art and Design did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s photography students in 2021-2022.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Minneapolis College of Art and Design Photography Report
Art Center College of Design did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s photography students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
With a ranking of #16, American Academy of Art did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s photography degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Cleveland Institute of Art came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. CIA is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 11 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
With a ranking of #18, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. Columbia is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 61 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Savannah College of Art and Design landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. Located in Savannah, Georgia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 108 degrees to qualified bachelors’s photography students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Photography at Savannah College of Art and Design
Purchase College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. Purchase College is a public institution located in Purchase, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
California College of the Arts did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking, coming in at #21. Located in San Francisco, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s photography students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Photography at California College of the Arts
Freed-Hardeman University ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. Located in Henderson, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s photography students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Maryland Institute College of Art came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. Maryland Institute College of Art is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 86%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Montserrat College of Art landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. This small school is located in Beverly, Massachusetts, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
Villa Maria College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. Villa is a small school located in Buffalo, New York that handed out 2 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies