2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
17
Ranked Colleges
249
Degrees Awarded
$16,700
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Photography is the 310th most popular major in the country with 2,184 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 249 photography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 17 colleges that offer a degree in photography. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great photography programs and cost less that 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Photography Schools
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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” 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.
Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region photography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 17 Best Value Colleges for Photography (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s photography degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $4,858 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
Read full report on Photography at UIUC
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Oakland University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 3 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
Oakland did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,949 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Oakland University Photography Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Valley State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s photography degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
GVSU also took the #2 spot in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,259 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Grand Valley State University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Photography at GVSU
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 $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified ’s photography students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,549 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIC.
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%.
Read more about Photography at UIC
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 $0-$30k. Ferris is a public institution located in Big Rapids, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ferris, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ferris State University is $6,577 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Photography at Ferris State University
Youngstown State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Youngstown State University is a fairly large school located in Youngstown, Ohio that handed out 4 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
Youngstown State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $9,175 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Youngstown State University Photography Report
Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Athens, Ohio, this large public school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified ’s photography students in 2020-2021.
OHIO Athens did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,614 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus.
Full OHIO Athens Photography Report
Bradley University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Bradley University is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 1 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
Bradley also took the #7 spot in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $16,588 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Photography at Bradley
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 $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Akron, Ohio, and it awarded 5 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Akron Main Campus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $14,420 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Photography at University of Akron Main Campus
Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. 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.
Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Chicago is $21,344 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Photography at Columbia College Chicago
With a ranking of #11, Grace College and Theological Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Winona Lake, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified ’s photography students 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. It costs about $13,669 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Grace College and Theological Seminary.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Photography at Grace College and Theological Seminary
Columbus College of Art and Design came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. 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.
In addition to being on our great lakes region photography students whose families make $0-$30k list, CCAD has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbus College of Art and Design is $21,798 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $0-$30k.
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.
Full CCAD Photography Report
University of Dayton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Dayton, Ohio, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified ’s photography students in 2020-2021.
UDayton also took the #6 spot in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UDayton is $19,334 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Photography at University of Dayton
Art Academy of Cincinnati did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 2 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at AAC, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Art Academy of Cincinnati is $22,465 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 full report on Photography at AAC
American Academy of Art did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. The Academy 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. The estimated yearly cost for The Academy is $22,931 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Photography at American Academy of Art
Cleveland Institute of Art ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. CIA is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 4 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region photography students whose families make $0-$30k list, CIA has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CIA is $31,391 for great lakes 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 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Cleveland Institute of Art Photography Report
College for Creative Studies ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Detroit, Michigan, and it awarded 9 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
CCS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $31,631 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend College for Creative Studies.
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 College for Creative Studies Photography Report
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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.
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