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2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

16 Ranked Colleges
165 Degrees Awarded
$21,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 16 colleges that offered a degree in photography. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality photography programs that also have a lower cost than 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” 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 Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 16 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Photography in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

#1 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 Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students with aid per year to attend UIUC.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Photography Report

#2

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s photography degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students with aid per year to attend Purdue.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Read more about Photography at Purdue University - Main Campus

#3

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#4 in overall quality

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Grand Valley State University is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 10 bachelors’s photography degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students with aid.

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 Grand Valley State University Photography Report

#4

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 #4 on our 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ferris State University is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 1 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

Ferris also took the #9 spot in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,889 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students with aid per year to attend Ferris State University.

Read more about Photography at Ferris

#5

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio
#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Youngstown State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 2 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Youngstown State University, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $11,947 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students with aid.

Read more about Photography at Youngstown State University

#6

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

Oakland University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Oakland University is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 7 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oakland, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $11,802 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students with aid.

Full Oakland University Photography Report

#7

Shawnee State University

Portsmouth, Ohio
#16 in overall quality

Shawnee State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Portsmouth, Ohio, this small public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s photography students in 2019-2020.

Shawnee State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Shawnee State University is $16,320 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Photography students with aid.

Read full report on Photography at Shawnee State University

#13 in overall quality

University of Akron Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Akron, Ohio that handed out 3 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students with aid 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. It costs about $17,792 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Photography students with aid per year to attend University of Akron Main Campus.

Read full report on Photography at University of Akron Main Campus

#9

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Bradley University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

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 University is $25,634 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Photography students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Bradley University Photography Report

#10

Indiana Wesleyan University

Marion, Indiana
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Indiana Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Marion, Indiana, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students with aid list, IWU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IWU is $20,946 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Photography students with aid.

Read more about Photography at Indiana Wesleyan University

#6 in overall quality

Columbus College of Art and Design came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students with aid list, CCAD has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbus College of Art and Design is $27,299 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students with aid.

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 Columbus College of Art and Design

#12

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Columbia College Chicago landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia also made our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $31,099 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students with aid per year to attend Columbia.

Full Columbia College Chicago Photography Report

#13

University of Dayton

Dayton, Ohio
#3 in overall quality

University of Dayton landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UDayton is a fairly large school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 4 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

UDayton also took the #3 spot in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Dayton is $31,003 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Photography students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Photography at University of Dayton

#14

Art Academy of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, Ohio
#14 in overall quality

Art Academy of Cincinnati landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at AAC, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Art Academy of Cincinnati is $24,071 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree photography students with aid.

The impressive 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.

Read full report on Photography at AAC

#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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. College for Creative Studies is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 15 bachelors’s photography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CCS, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $37,745 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Photography students with aid per year to attend College for Creative Studies.

The 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.

Read more about Photography at CCS

#16

American Academy of Art

Chicago, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

American Academy of Art landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Photography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s photography degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

The Academy not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Photography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The Academy is $28,106 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Photography students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Photography at The Academy

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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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