Best Photography Schools Near Carson, CA (2026)

Carson, California has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $1,180 to $21,391 per year for indexed programs. Carson has a population of about 93,523. Median household income is $107,391 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $72,400 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Photography Schools to Carson

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Carson, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Carson city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Carson. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Cypress College

Cypress, CA 13.3 miles from Carson
  • 4 year
49.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,533
Avg net price $4,606/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Rio Hondo College

Whittier, CA 18.0 miles from Carson
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
59.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,950
Avg net price $14,379/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,388
Out‑of‑state$9,884
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA 21.3 miles from Carson
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
63.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,379
Avg net price $21,413/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Santa Ana College

Santa Ana, CA 21.8 miles from Carson
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
65.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,552
Avg net price $3,133/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,180
Out‑of‑state$10,756
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

New York Film Academy

Burbank, CA 22.2 miles from Carson
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
35.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $29,633
Avg net price $39,011/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, CA 23.4 miles from Carson
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
68.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,958
Avg net price $48,661/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of La Verne

La Verne, CA 33.1 miles from Carson
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
62.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,464
Avg net price $20,161/yr
Tuition
In‑state$49,470
Out‑of‑state$49,470
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, CA 42.3 miles from Carson
  • 4 year
38.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,198
Avg net price $46,080/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California photography page.


Photography Wages Near Carson

Carson is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Photographer$47,840Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$42,113
Graphic Designer$72,400Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$63,732

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Carson at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population93,523Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$107,391Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+29.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Carson-Area Cities With Photography Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Carson, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Carson. The closest is Cerritos College in Norwalk, CA (9.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Santa Ana College (21.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Carson?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Carson are: Graphic Designer ($72,400), Photographer ($47,840). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Compton instead of Carson?

Compton, CA is 4.2 miles from Carson and has its own set of local photography programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Carson an affordable place to study photography?

Carson’s median household income of $107,391 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Carson while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Photography Programs

Other Programs Available in Carson

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Carson:

Data verified: August 25, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.