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Photography instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a photography instructor. Photography instructors usually study photography, fine arts, or graphic design. 66% of photography instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 803 real photography instructor resumes to see exactly what photography instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for photography instructors are the Savannah College of Art and Design and the Savannah College of Art and Design.
There are also many online photography instructor courses to help get the education required to be a photography instructor.
What education do you need to become a photography instructor?
What degree do you need to be a photography instructor?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a photography instructor?
- Photography, 38%
- Fine Arts, 19%
- Graphic Design, 7%
- Communication, 6%
- Other Majors, 30%
Most common colleges for photography instructors
| Photography instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 8.85% |
| Academy of Art University | 7.96% |
| San Francisco Art Institute | 7.96% |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 7.96% |
| Columbia College Chicago | 7.08% |
Best majors for photography instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photography | 37.6% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 19.5% |
| 3 | Graphic Design | 6.8% |
| 4 | Communication | 6.4% |
| 5 | Journalism | 5.2% |
Best colleges for photography instructors
The best colleges for photography instructors are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
A photography instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for photography instructors. 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 photography instructors.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
5. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,382
Enrollment
5,597
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
20 best online courses for photography instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for photography instructors
The most affordable schools for photography instructors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for photography instructors 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 photography instructors.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
9. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
10. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for photography instructors
The hardest universities for photography instructors to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for photography instructors 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 photography instructors 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for photography instructors
The easiest schools for photography instructors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a photography instructor 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 photography instructors.
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. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
6. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
7. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
8. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
9. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average photography instructor salary by education level
| Photography instructor education level | Photography instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $52,661 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,939 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $48,345 |
| Doctorate Degree | $57,508 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $46,660 |
Photography instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025