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2023 Best Value Colleges for Photography (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

11 Ranked Colleges
369 Degrees Awarded
$29,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 2,184 people earned their degree in photography, making the major the 310th most popular in the United States.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 369 photography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 11 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in photography. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great photography programs and cost less that 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 11 Best Value Colleges for Photography (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region photography students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $5,194 for Far Western US Region Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Photography at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

2

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Sacramento landed the #2 spot on the list. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 20 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $8,163 for Far Western US Region Photography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Photography at Sac State

3
CWU crest
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Washington University landed the #3 spot on the list. Ellensburg, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s photography degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.

CWU also made our “Best Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for CWU is $10,796 for far western us region photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Photography at Central Washington University

4
Seattle U crest
Seattle University
Seattle, Washington

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Seattle University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s photography degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region photography students whose families make $0-$30k list, Seattle U has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Seattle University is $25,304 for Far Western US Region Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 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 more about Photography at Seattle University

5
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Academy of Art University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This medium-sized school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 93 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Academy of Art University, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $33,484 for Far Western US Region Photography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Academy of Art University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Academy of Art University Photography Report

6
California College of the Arts crest
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, California

California College of the Arts did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This small school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 10 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.

California College of the Arts also made our “Best Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $29,530 for far western us region photography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California College of the Arts.

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 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California College of the Arts Photography Report

7

With a ranking of #7, California Institute of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. CalArts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Valencia, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CalArts, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CalArts is $52,801 for Far Western US Region Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 CalArts

8
Art Center College of Design crest
Art Center College of Design
Pasadena, California

Art Center College of Design came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Art Center College of Design is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Art Center College of Design did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $40,209 for Far Western US Region Photography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Art Center College of Design.

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 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Photography at Art Center College of Design

9

Pacific Northwest College of Art landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pacific Northwest College of Art is a small school located in Portland, Oregon that handed out 6 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.

Pacific Northwest College of Art not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pacific Northwest College of Art is $29,983 for Far Western US Region Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Pacific Northwest College of Art Photography Report

10
SFAI crest
San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #10, San Francisco Art Institute did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 12 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFAI, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco Art Institute is $40,409 for far western us region photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full San Francisco Art Institute Photography Report

11
New York Film Academy crest
New York Film Academy
Burbank, California

New York Film Academy landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. New York Film Academy is a small private for-profit school situated in Burbank, California. It awarded 23 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.

New York Film Academy also made our “Best Photography Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend New York Film Academy is $43,567 for Far Western US Region Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full New York Film Academy Photography Report

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Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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