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Sports photographer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a sports photographer. Sports photographers usually study photography, communication, or journalism. 73% of sports photographers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 830 real sports photographer resumes to see exactly what sports photographer education sections show.
The most common colleges for sports photographers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online sports photographer courses to help get the education required to be a sports photographer.
What education do you need to become a sports photographer?
What degree do you need to be a sports photographer?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Master's, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a sports photographer?
- Photography, 26%
- Communication, 18%
- Journalism, 13%
- Graphic Design, 10%
- Other Majors, 33%
Most common colleges for sports photographers
| Sports photographer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 7.35% |
| Central State University | 5.88% |
| Towson University | 5.88% |
| Western Washington University | 5.88% |
| School of Visual Arts | 5.88% |
Best majors for sports photographers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photography | 25.6% |
| 2 | Communication | 17.5% |
| 3 | Journalism | 12.8% |
| 4 | Graphic Design | 9.5% |
| 5 | Business | 6.5% |
Best colleges for sports photographers
The best colleges for sports photographers are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A sports 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 sports 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 sports photographers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
20 best online courses for sports photographers
Advertising disclosure
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Sports analytics has emerged as a field of research with increasing popularity propelled, in part, by the real-world success illustrated by the best-selling book and motion picture, Moneyball. Analysis of team and player performance data has continued to revolutionize the sports industry on the field, court, and ice as well as in living rooms among fantasy sports players and online sports gambling.\n\nDrawing from real data sets in Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball...
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Today, there is demand for people skilled in Sports Marketing. Organizations want your expertise to strength and grow customer bases and teams want to enlarge their fan base, attract new sponsors to their sport, build strong programs with existing sponsors, and run their fan conventions and other events. In addition, a wide range of companies recognize the value sports relationships have in positioning and building their brands. In this Sports Marketing MOOC, you will learn: — Ticket pricing...
3. Sports & Action Photography For Beginners
A foundational course for beginner and novice level photographers who want to learn how to photograph dynamic subjects...
4. Applied Sport Psychology and Leadership in Sport Certificate
Enhance your knowledge of sport psychology from an athlete or coach perspective with this comprehensive applied course...
5. Data Analytics in Sports Law and Management
Athletes, lawyers and team executive experts provide insight in how law and regulations intersect with data analytics and sports management techniques for best practices in the sports industry. Several courses provide the basis for how data analytics function within player evaluation, team performance, and roster management. The specialization introduces various regulatory, managerial and legal frameworks that includes athlete representation, facilities, and event management and conclude with...
6. Activism in Sports and Culture
Sports have become an ever-present reflection of American culture, and an important symbol of the divisions and alliances in our society. Sports and political change walk hand in hand in America. The way that athletes and institutions deal with questions of race, economic hardship, nationalism, and political ties have become central to the way that we understand ourselves and our society. And yet, there are those who would prefer their sports free of controversy and opinion. Dedicated athletes,...
7. Sport Psychology for Athletes
Master the fundamentals of sport psychology to improve performance and gain a mental edge...
8. Introductory Sport Psychology
Developing sport psychology skills that you can use when you train, compete or coach...
9. Introduction to Machine Learning in Sports Analytics
In this course students will explore supervised machine learning techniques using the python scikit learn (sklearn) toolkit and real-world athletic data to understand both machine learning algorithms and how to predict athletic outcomes. Building on the previous courses in the specialization, students will apply methods such as support vector machines (SVM), decision trees, random forest, linear and logistic regression, and ensembles of learners to examine data from professional sports leagues...
10. Sports Turf Management: Best Practices
The Sports Turf Management: Best Practices course will cover the construction, management, and challenges in maintaining athletic fields intended for football, soccer, and baseball. You will learn the fundamental management practices for maintaining athletic fields, such as fertilization, irrigation, mowing, and pest control. An overview of athletic field construction, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of native soil versus modified soil fields, will be provided. Lastly, you will...
11. Sports Management: The Essentials Course
A Comprehensive Overview at How the Sports Industry Operates and the Challenges Facing the Modern Sports Industry Today...
12. Sports Nutrition for Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts
Learn all about sports nutrition with 7 hours of online video content and start training SMARTER instead of HARDER...
13. Sports Massage: The Technique Masterclass
Learn the most effective sports massage techniques for the entire body (2 CEUs)...
14. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Sports Nutrition
Learn About The Fundamentals Of Sport Nutrition Science And How To Fuel Your Athlete Client...
15. Ashiatsu or Shiatsu Barefoot Sports Massage Therapy
Let your feet do the work for you!...
16. Sports Massage: Positional Release Certificate Course
Learn Sports Massage Positional Release Techniques to produce profound pain relief and improve bodily function (2 CEUs)...
17. Sports Massage: Muscle Energy Technique Certificate Course
Grow your practice by learning sports massage the power of muscle energy techniques (2 CEUs)...
18. Nikon Camera Photography: Getting Started with Your Nikon
Improve your photography by learning how to confidently use your Nikon DSLR camera - perfect for beginner photographers!...
19. Digital Photography for Beginners with DSLR cameras
Learn how to take stunning photographs by mastering both the technical and creative sides of digital photography...
20. Long Exposure Photography: Shoot Your Own Stunning Photos
Quick start long exposure course. You can capture beautiful photographs with your DSLR, mirrorless and i Phone cameras...
Top 10 most affordable universities for sports photographers
The most affordable schools for sports 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 sports 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 sports 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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
7. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sports photographers
The hardest universities for sports photographers to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for sports 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 sports 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. 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sports photographers
The easiest schools for sports 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 sports 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 sports 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. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
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 sports photographer salary by education level
| Sports photographer education level | Sports photographer salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $27,401 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $28,908 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $27,940 |
Sports photographer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025