Best Photography Schools Near Chico, CA (2026)

Updated August 25, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Chico, California has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $8,018 to $22,945 per year for indexed programs. Chico has a population of about 102,032. Median household income is $67,929 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chico, CA metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $58,040 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Photography Schools to Chico

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Chico, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Chico 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 Chico. 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

California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento, CA 84.8 miles from Chico
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
81.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 94%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,876
Avg net price $9,338/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,018
Out‑of‑state$20,618
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 12

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

#2

Pacific Union College

Angwin, CA 88.6 miles from Chico
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,484
Avg net price $41,008/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA 140.4 miles from Chico
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
20.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,008
Avg net price $40,613/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, CA 141.0 miles from Chico
  • 4 year
46.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,414
Avg net price $53,909/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 151.8 miles from Chico
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,368
Avg net price $2,818/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 166.3 miles from Chico
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,072
Avg net price $7,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA 411.2 miles from Chico
  • 4 year
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,044
Avg net price $-2,296/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, CA 411.6 miles from Chico
  • 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 Chico

Chico is part of the Chico, CA metro area (BLS area code 17020). 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$47,840CA statewide$47,273
Graphic Designer$58,040Chico, CA$57,352

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.

Chico at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population102,032Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$67,929Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+41.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)101.2 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Chico-Area Cities With Photography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Chico, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Chico. The closest is Butte College in Oroville, CA (11.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cosumnes River College (92.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Chico?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Chico are: Graphic Designer ($58,040), 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 Paradise instead of Chico?

Paradise, CA is 11.1 miles from Chico 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 Chico an affordable place to study photography?

Chico’s median household income of $67,929 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chico 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 Chico

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

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.

Back to Best Photography Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)