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Photo journalist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a photo journalist. Photo journalists usually study communication, photography, or journalism. 65% of photo journalists hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 341 real photo journalist resumes to see exactly what photo journalist education sections show.
The most common colleges for photo journalists are the Washington State University and the Washington State University.
There are also many online photo journalist courses to help get the education required to be a photo journalist.
What education do you need to become a photo journalist?
What degree do you need to be a photo journalist?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Associate, 18%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a photo journalist?
- Communication, 21%
- Photography, 15%
- Journalism, 15%
- Graphic Design, 6%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for photo journalists
| Photo journalist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Washington State University | 9.38% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 9.38% |
| University of Memphis | 6.25% |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | 6.25% |
| University of Toledo | 6.25% |
Best majors for photo journalists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 21.0% |
| 2 | Photography | 15.4% |
| 3 | Journalism | 15.4% |
| 4 | Graphic Design | 6.2% |
| 5 | Fine Arts | 5.6% |
Best colleges for photo journalists
The best colleges for photo journalists are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A photo journalist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for photo journalists. 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 photo journalists.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
20 best online courses for photo journalists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for photo journalists
The most affordable schools for photo journalists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for photo journalists 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 photo journalists.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
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. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for photo journalists
The hardest universities for photo journalists to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for photo journalists 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 photo journalists 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for photo journalists
The easiest schools for photo journalists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and grand view university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a photo journalist 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 photo journalists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
4. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
Average photo journalist salary by education level
| Photo journalist education level | Photo journalist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $81,504 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $77,237 |
Photo journalist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025