2027 Best Photography Schools in the Southwest Region
Photography programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
For its 2027 ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for photography students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Photography in the Southwest Region
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the photography degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Photography
No school ranked higher than Northern Arizona University this year for photography. This very large public university is located in the city of Flagstaff. About 61% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 20 photography students who graduated with this degree at Northern Arizona University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, photography degree recipients from Northern Arizona University generally make around $23,418. Northern Arizona University graduates carry a median of $19,000 in student loans.
Read more about the photography program at Northern Arizona University
University Of Houston is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in photography, landing the #2 spot this year. This very large public university is located in the city of Houston. The six-year graduation rate is 65%. There were roughly 19 photography students who graduated with this degree at University Of Houston in the most recent data year. Graduates of the photography program make about $57,529 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $21,255 to complete this degree.
Get the full photography details for University Of Houston
Texas State University San Marcos is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in photography, ranking #3. Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public school located in the city of San Marcos. The six-year graduation rate is 55%. There were roughly 20 photography students who graduated with this degree at Texas State University San Marcos in the most recent data year. Graduates of the photography program make about $33,610 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $26,864.
See the full photography program report for Texas State University San Marcos
Saint Edwards University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in photography, landing the #4 spot this year. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Austin. The six-year graduation rate is 63%. About 10 photography degrees were awarded at Saint Edwards University in the most recent year. Photography graduates of Saint Edwards University earn a median of $44,054 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $25,059.
Get the full photography details for Saint Edwards University
Students looking for a strong photography program will find one at Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center, which ranked #5. Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center is a small public school located in the rural area of Choctaw. There were roughly 18 photography students who graduated with this degree at Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center in the most recent data year.
Get the full photography details for Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center
Narrow Photography Schools by State
More Photography Rankings
View All Photography Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 5 schools evaluated.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
