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Photography teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a photography teacher. Photography teachers usually study photography, fine arts, or graphic design. 70% of photography teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 371 real photography teacher resumes to see exactly what photography teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for photography teachers are the School of Visual Arts and the School of Visual Arts.
There are also many online photography teacher courses to help get the education required to be a photography teacher.
What education do you need to become a photography teacher?
What degree do you need to be a photography teacher?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 7%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a photography teacher?
- Photography, 32%
- Fine Arts, 14%
- Graphic Design, 12%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for photography teachers
| Photography teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| School of Visual Arts | 10.00% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 8.33% |
| Pratt Institute | 8.33% |
| Arizona State University | 6.67% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 6.67% |
Best majors for photography teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photography | 31.6% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 14.0% |
| 3 | Graphic Design | 12.0% |
| 4 | General Education, Specific Areas | 7.6% |
| 5 | Elementary Education | 5.2% |
Best colleges for photography teachers
The best colleges for photography teachers are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A photography teacher 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 teachers. 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 teachers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
8. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
10. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Enrollment
15,645
20 best online courses for photography teachers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for photography teachers
The most affordable schools for photography teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for photography teachers 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 teachers.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
7. 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
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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 photography teachers
The hardest universities for photography teachers to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for photography teachers 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 teachers 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
8. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for photography teachers
The easiest schools for photography teachers to get into are Wayland Baptist University, mount saint mary's university, and san francisco state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a photography teacher 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 teachers.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
6. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,019
7. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
8. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,062
Average photography teacher salary by education level
| Photography teacher education level | Photography teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $51,388 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $44,489 |
| Doctorate Degree | $51,855 |
Photography teacher 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