2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k
17
Ranked Colleges
249
Degrees Awarded
$18,100
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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.
This year’s “Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 17 colleges that offered a degree in photography. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent photography programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the photography program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region photography students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 17 Best Value Colleges for Photography (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified ’s photography students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $8,036 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Photography at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Oakland University landed the #2 spot on the list. Oakland University is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 3 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
Oakland also made our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $8,839 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oakland University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Photography at Oakland
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Valley State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 14 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $11,026 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read full report on Photography at GVSU
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 1 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region photography students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIC has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $11,351 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read more about Photography at University of Illinois at Chicago
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ferris State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ferris is a fairly large school located in Big Rapids, Michigan that handed out 7 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
Ferris also made our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $9,859 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ferris State University.
Full Ferris Photography Report
With a ranking of #6, Youngstown State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Youngstown, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s photography degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region photography students whose families make $30-$48k list, Youngstown State University has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $9,972 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Photography at Youngstown State University
With a ranking of #7, Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s photography degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
OHIO Athens also made our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio University - Athens Campus is $18,991 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Photography Report
With a ranking of #8, Bradley University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bradley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,753 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bradley University.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Bradley Photography Report
Grace College and Theological Seminary ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Winona Lake, Indiana, and it awarded 5 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
Grace College also took the #11 spot in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grace College is $15,033 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.
Full Grace College and Theological Seminary Photography Report
University of Akron Main Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution located in Akron, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Akron Main Campus also made our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $15,510 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full University of Akron Main Campus Photography Report
Columbia College Chicago landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s photography degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.
Columbia also made our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $22,304 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Photography at Columbia College Chicago
University of Dayton came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Dayton is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s photography degrees to qualified students.
UDayton also took the #6 spot in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Dayton is $20,992 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 more about Photography at UDayton
Columbus College of Art and Design ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 21 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
CCAD also took the #9 spot in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CCAD is $24,562 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 full report on Photography at CCAD
Art Academy of Cincinnati ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. AAC is a small school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 2 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
AAC also made our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $23,281 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Art Academy of Cincinnati.
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.
Full AAC Photography Report
American Academy of Art did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. The Academy is a small private for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 1 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
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 yearly cost to attend The Academy is $25,340 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 American Academy of Art
Cleveland Institute of Art did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. CIA is a small school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 4 ’s photography degrees in 2020-2021.
CIA also took the #12 spot in our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cleveland Institute of Art is $32,283 for great lakes region photography students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 CIA
College for Creative Studies did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. College for Creative Studies is a private not-for-profit institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CCS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Photography Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend CCS is $32,383 for Great Lakes Region Photography students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 College for Creative Studies
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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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