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Commercial photographer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a commercial photographer. Commercial photographers usually study photography, graphic design, or fine arts. 66% of commercial photographers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 693 real commercial photographer resumes to see exactly what commercial photographer education sections show.
The most common colleges for commercial photographers are the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Rochester Institute of Technology.
There are also many online commercial photographer courses to help get the education required to be a commercial photographer.
What education do you need to become a commercial photographer?
What degree do you need to be a commercial photographer?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Associate, 21%
- Master's, 6%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a commercial photographer?
- Photography, 38%
- Graphic Design, 14%
- Fine Arts, 10%
- Communication, 5%
- Other Majors, 33%
Most common colleges for commercial photographers
| Commercial photographer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 10.26% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 8.97% |
| Art Center College of Design | 8.97% |
| Syracuse University | 6.41% |
| Northern Arizona University | 6.41% |
Best majors for commercial photographers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photography | 37.7% |
| 2 | Graphic Design | 14.5% |
| 3 | Fine Arts | 10.0% |
| 4 | Communication | 5.0% |
| 5 | Business | 4.2% |
Best colleges for commercial photographers
The best colleges for commercial photographers are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A commercial photographer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for commercial photographers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become commercial photographers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for commercial photographers
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10. Real Estate Photography Masterclass
A Guide to Equipment, Technique and Workflow for Real Estate Photography...
11. Photoshop and Photography Digital Art Compositing Course
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12. Mastering Small Product & Jewelry Photography
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14. Landscape Photography & Nature Photography for Beginners
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Top 10 most affordable universities for commercial photographers
The most affordable schools for commercial photographers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for commercial photographers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for commercial photographers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for commercial photographers
The hardest universities for commercial photographers to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for commercial photographers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for commercial photographers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for commercial photographers
The easiest schools for commercial photographers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, cardinal stritch university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a commercial photographer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for commercial photographers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average commercial photographer salary by education level
| Commercial photographer education level | Commercial photographer salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $35,266 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $40,142 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $36,969 |
Commercial photographer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025