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There are several educational requirements to become a freelance photographer. Freelance photographers usually study photography, graphic design, or fine arts. 69% of freelance photographers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 11,451 real freelance photographer resumes to see exactly what freelance photographer education sections show.
The most common colleges for freelance photographers are the Savannah College of Art and Design and the Savannah College of Art and Design.
There are also many online freelance photographer courses to help get the education required to be a freelance photographer.
There are certain freelance photographer certifications that you should consider. These freelance photographer certifications include Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) and Forensic Photography & Imaging Certification.
Freelance Photographer Common College | Percentages |
---|---|
Savannah College of Art and Design | 9.34% |
Columbia College Chicago | 7.82% |
School of Visual Arts | 7.71% |
Rochester Institute of Technology | 7.06% |
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh | 6.84% |
Rank | Major | Percentages |
---|---|---|
1 | Photography | 35.8% |
2 | Graphic Design | 11.4% |
3 | Fine Arts | 9.3% |
4 | Communication | 8.2% |
5 | Business | 5.8% |
The best colleges for freelance photographers are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A freelance 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 freelance 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 freelance photographers.
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
Austin, TX • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
Boston, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
Durham, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
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The most affordable schools for freelance 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 freelance 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 freelance photographers.
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Cost of Attendance
21,034
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Cost of Attendance
18,306
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,240
Cost of Attendance
13,991
Bronx, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,210
Cost of Attendance
14,359
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,740
Cost of Attendance
17,864
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,182
Cost of Attendance
13,998
Queens, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,338
Cost of Attendance
14,281
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,749
Cost of Attendance
14,823
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,656
Cost of Attendance
21,623
The hardest universities for freelance photographers to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for freelance 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 freelance 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.
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,508
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
5%
SAT Average
1,520
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
17%
SAT Average
1,507
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
19%
SAT Average
1,466
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
6%
SAT Average
1,512
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
13%
SAT Average
1,445
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
4%
SAT Average
1,497
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
20%
SAT Average
1,419
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
22%
SAT Average
1,420
The easiest schools for freelance photographers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and cardinal stritch university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a freelance 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 freelance photographers.
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
84%
SAT Average
1,031
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
82%
SAT Average
983
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions Rate
71%
SAT Average
1,035
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
1,003
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
93%
SAT Average
1,026
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
88%
SAT Average
1,044
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,006
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions Rate
92%
SAT Average
1,060
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions Rate
90%
SAT Average
994
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions Rate
86%
SAT Average
991
Freelance Photographer education level | Freelance Photographer salary |
---|---|
High School Diploma or Less | $41,390 |
Bachelor's Degree | $45,664 |
Some College/ Associate Degree | $42,899 |