Best Photography Schools Near Imperial Beach, CA (2026)

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

Imperial Beach, California has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $1,156 to $14,027 per year for indexed programs. Imperial Beach has a population of about 25,897. Median household income is $79,071 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $75,130 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Photography Schools to Imperial Beach

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

Santa Ana College

Santa Ana, CA 93.5 miles from Imperial Beach
  • 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

#2

La Sierra University

Riverside, CA 95.4 miles from Imperial Beach
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
48.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,824
Avg net price $45,566/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 95.6 miles from Imperial Beach
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,504
Avg net price $26,285/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Cypress College

Cypress, CA 101.6 miles from Imperial Beach
  • 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

#5

University of La Verne

La Verne, CA 112.3 miles from Imperial Beach
  • 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

#6

Rio Hondo College

Whittier, CA 113.3 miles from Imperial Beach
  • 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

#7

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, CA 126.8 miles from Imperial Beach
  • 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

#8

New York Film Academy

Burbank, CA 130.0 miles from Imperial Beach
  • 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

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

Photography Wages Near Imperial Beach

Imperial Beach is part of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area (BLS area code 41740). 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$44,030San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$39,348
Graphic Designer$75,130CA statewide$67,140

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.

Imperial Beach at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population25,897Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$79,071Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+23.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Imperial Beach-Area Cities With Photography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Imperial Beach, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Imperial Beach. The closest is Southwestern College in Chula Vista, CA (8.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Irvine Valley College (85.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Imperial Beach?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Imperial Beach are: Graphic Designer ($75,130), Photographer ($44,030). 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 National City instead of Imperial Beach?

National City, CA is 6.8 miles from Imperial Beach 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 Imperial Beach an affordable place to study photography?

Imperial Beach’s median household income of $79,071 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Imperial Beach 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 Imperial Beach

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

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)