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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Photography (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

16 Ranked Colleges
165 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 2,438 people earned their degree in photography, making the major the 291st most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 297 photography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 165 photography graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 16 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 16 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Photography (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 1 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $9,654 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 students.

Read more about Photography at Purdue

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s photography degrees to qualified students.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,351 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Photography Report

#3

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Grand Valley State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s photography students in 2019-2020.

GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,775 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend GVSU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full GVSU Photography Report

#4

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Oakland University landed the #4 spot on the list. Oakland is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s photography degrees to qualified students.

Oakland did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $10,387 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Photography at Oakland

#5

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ferris State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Big Rapids, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s photography students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $48-$75k list, Ferris has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ferris State University is $14,101 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Photography at Ferris

#6

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio
#12 in overall quality

Youngstown State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 2 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

Youngstown State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $13,786 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Youngstown State University Photography Report

#7

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Bradley University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Bradley is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s photography degrees to qualified students.

Bradley also took the #5 spot in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley is $22,865 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Photography at Bradley

#8

Shawnee State University

Portsmouth, Ohio
#16 in overall quality

Shawnee State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Portsmouth, Ohio, this small public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s photography students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $48-$75k list, Shawnee State University has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,597 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Shawnee State University.

Read more about Photography at Shawnee State University

#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Indiana Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. IWU is a small school located in Marion, Indiana that handed out 9 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

IWU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana Wesleyan University is $18,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Photography at IWU

#10

University of Dayton

Dayton, Ohio
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of Dayton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Dayton, Ohio, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

UDayton also made our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $24,614 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Dayton.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full University of Dayton Photography Report

#13 in overall quality

University of Akron Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Akron, Ohio, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $48-$75k list, University of Akron Main Campus has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $18,630 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of Akron Main Campus Photography Report

#6 in overall quality

Columbus College of Art and Design ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

CCAD also made our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Columbus College of Art and Design is $28,104 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive 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.

Full CCAD Photography Report

#13

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Columbia College Chicago came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 44 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s photography students in 2019-2020.

Columbia also took the #7 spot in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $31,071 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Columbia Photography Report

#14

Art Academy of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, Ohio
#14 in overall quality

Art Academy of Cincinnati ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Art Academy of Cincinnati is a small school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 5 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $48-$75k list, AAC has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Art Academy of Cincinnati is $27,366 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Art Academy of Cincinnati Photography Report

#15

College for Creative Studies

Detroit, Michigan
#8 in overall quality

College for Creative Studies did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Detroit, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s photography degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

CCS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for CCS is $38,838 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a 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 College for Creative Studies

#16

American Academy of Art

Chicago, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

American Academy of Art came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s photography students in 2019-2020.

The Academy did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for American Academy of Art is $31,382 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Photography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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.

Full American Academy of Art 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

Footnotes

  • *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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