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Food photographer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a food photographer. Food photographers usually study photography, graphic design, or communication. 75% of food photographers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 142 real food photographer resumes to see exactly what food photographer education sections show.
The most common colleges for food photographers are the Columbia College Chicago and the Columbia College Chicago.
There are also many online food photographer courses to help get the education required to be a food photographer.
What education do you need to become a food photographer?
What degree do you need to be a food photographer?
- Bachelor's, 75%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 6%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a food photographer?
- Photography, 41%
- Graphic Design, 13%
- Communication, 8%
- Fine Arts, 3%
- Other Majors, 35%
Most common colleges for food photographers
| Food photographer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Columbia College Chicago | 17.24% |
| New York University | 6.90% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 6.90% |
| College of Southern Nevada | 6.90% |
| New Mexico State University | 6.90% |
Best majors for food photographers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photography | 40.7% |
| 2 | Graphic Design | 12.8% |
| 3 | Communication | 8.1% |
| 4 | Fine Arts | 3.5% |
| 5 | Economics | 3.5% |
Best colleges for food photographers
The best colleges for food photographers are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.
A food 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 food 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 food photographers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
20 best online courses for food photographers
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15. Cook Real Food: How to Make Simple Plant-Based Meals
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17. Elevate Your Photography - Master Composition.
Study 100 great photographs to learn their keys to success. An array of genres - landscape, travel, portrait, food....
18. Eat Real Food: How to Eat a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet
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19. Ultimate Guide to Landscape and Nature Photography
Learn how lighting, composition, and photography techniques help you create stunning landscape and nature photography...
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Top 10 most affordable universities for food photographers
The most affordable schools for food photographers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for food 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 food 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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
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. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for food photographers
The hardest universities for food photographers to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for food 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 food 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for food photographers
The easiest schools for food photographers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a food 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 food photographers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average food photographer salary by education level
| Food photographer education level | Food photographer salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $66,526 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $93,562 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $75,326 |
Food photographer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025