2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major
27
Ranked Colleges
209
Degrees Awarded
$38,200
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Photography is the 310th most popular major in the country with 2,175 degrees awarded in 2021-2022.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 209 photography graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,979 and $43,370 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major” ranking looked at 27 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in photography. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in photography.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Photography Schools
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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree photography students.
Top 27 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Photography
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cranbrook Academy of Art. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. Bloomfield Hills, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s photography degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Carnbrook Academy Photography Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend School of Visual Arts. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. Located in New York, New York, this small private for-profit school awarded 36 degrees to qualified masters’s photography students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Photography at SVA
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of the Arts. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major. Valencia, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s photography degrees to 9 students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 California Institute of the Arts
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Academy of Art University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. This medium-sized school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 34 masters’s photography degrees 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%.
Full Academy of Art University Photography Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Atlantic University College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. This small school is located in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and it awarded 1 masters’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
Read more about Photography at Atlantic University College
Maryland Institute College of Art came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. This small school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 7 masters’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
Full Maryland Institute College of Art Photography Report
New York Film Academy came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. New York Film Academy is located in Burbank, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 7 masters’s photography degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Photography at New York Film Academy
Rhode Island School of Design came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified masters’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 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Photography at Rhode Island School of Design
With a ranking of #9, Lesley University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. Lesley is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 7 masters’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
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 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Lesley University Photography Report
Savannah College of Art and Design came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. Savannah College of Art and Design is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Savannah, Georgia. It awarded 36 masters’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Photography at SCAD
The New School ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s photography degrees to 11 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 more about Photography at New School University
University of Hartford did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking, coming in at #12. West Hartford, Connecticut is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s photography degrees to 10 students in 2021-2022.
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. 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 more about Photography at UHart
Columbia College Chicago landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s photography degrees to 9 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Columbia Photography Report
New England College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. New England College is located in Henniker, New Hampshire and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 8 masters’s photography degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read more about Photography at NEC
Yale University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. Yale University is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 10 masters’s photography degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Yale University Photography Report
Rochester Institute of Technology ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. Rochester Institute of Technology is a fairly large school located in Rochester, New York that handed out 8 masters’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Photography at RIT
Syracuse University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking, coming in at #17. Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Syracuse, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Photography at Syracuse University
With a ranking of #18, Temple University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. Temple is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 masters’s photography degrees to qualified students.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Photography at Temple University
Central Washington University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. Located in Ellensburg, Washington, this medium-sized public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified masters’s photography students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Central Washington University
Wichita State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Wichita, Kansas, and it awarded 0 masters’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Wichita State University Photography Report
With a ranking of #21, Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s photography degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Photography at Ohio University - Athens Campus
University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 masters’s photography degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.
Read full report on Photography at UIC
University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 masters’s photography degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Photography Report
SUNY New Paltz ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. This medium-sized school is located in New Paltz, New York, and it awarded 5 masters’s photography degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full SUNY New Paltz Photography Report
University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major ranking. Located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified masters’s photography students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UMass Dartmouth Photography Report
Marywood University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. Marywood is a private not-for-profit institution located in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Photography at Marywood University
With a ranking of #24, Barry University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Photography Major list. Barry University is located in Miami, Florida and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 masters’s photography degrees to qualified students.
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%.
Read full report on Photography at Barry University
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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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate 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.
