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Street photographer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a street photographer. Street photographers usually study photography, graphic design, or english. 81% of street photographers hold a bachelor's degree, and 6% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 35 real street photographer resumes to see exactly what street photographer education sections show.

The most common colleges for street photographers are the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Rochester Institute of Technology.

There are also many online street photographer courses to help get the education required to be a street photographer.

What education do you need to become a street photographer?

What degree do you need to be a street photographer?

The most common degree for street photographers is bachelor's degree, with 81% of street photographers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 6% and high school diploma degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 81%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Associate, 6%

What should I major in to become a street photographer?

You should major in photography to become a street photographer. 25% of street photographers major in photography. Other common majors for a street photographer include graphic design and english.

Most common colleges for street photographers

Street photographers often get their degrees at Rochester Institute of Technology, Western Washington University, and Louisiana State University and A&M; College. Here are the most common colleges for street photographers in the US based on their resumes.
Street photographer common collegePercentages
Rochester Institute of Technology10.00%
Western Washington University5.00%
Louisiana State University and A&M College5.00%
Southern Connecticut State University5.00%
University of Colorado at Boulder5.00%

Best majors for street photographers

RankMajorPercentages
1Photography25.0%
2Graphic Design10.0%
3English10.0%
4Liberal Arts10.0%
5Human Development5.0%

Best colleges for street photographers

The best colleges for street photographers are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A street 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 street 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 street 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. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for street photographers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for street photographers

The most affordable schools for street 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 street 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 street 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. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

9. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

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 street photographers

The hardest universities for street photographers to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for street 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 street 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. 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for street photographers

The easiest schools for street 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 street 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 street 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 street photographer salary by education level

Street photographers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $107,176 annually. With a Associate degree, street photographers earn a median annual income of $82,711 compared to $71,299 for street photographers with an High School Diploma degree.
Street photographer education levelStreet photographer salary
High School Diploma or Less$71,299
Bachelor's Degree$107,176
Some College/ Associate Degree$82,711

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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