Best Photography Schools Near Milpitas, CA (2026)

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

Milpitas, California has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs. Milpitas has a population of about 78,216. Median household income is $176,822 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 58.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $97,360 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Photography Schools to Milpitas

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

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 13.9 miles from Milpitas
  • 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

#2

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, CA 36.1 miles from Milpitas
  • 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

#3

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA 36.4 miles from Milpitas
  • 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

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 50.6 miles from Milpitas
  • 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

#5

California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento, CA 82.3 miles from Milpitas
  • 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

#6

Pacific Union College

Angwin, CA 84.1 miles from Milpitas
  • 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

#7

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA 275.9 miles from Milpitas
  • 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 280.7 miles from Milpitas
  • 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 Milpitas

Milpitas is part of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area (BLS area code 41940). 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$52,470San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$47,527
Graphic Designer$97,360San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$88,188

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.

Milpitas at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population78,216Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$176,822Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+58.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)110.4 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Milpitas-Area Cities With Photography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Milpitas, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Milpitas. The closest is De Anza College in Cupertino, CA (11.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Las Positas College (20.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Milpitas?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Milpitas are: Graphic Designer ($97,360), Photographer ($52,470). 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 Santa Clara instead of Milpitas?

Santa Clara, CA is 6.3 miles from Milpitas 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 Milpitas an affordable place to study photography?

Milpitas’s median household income of $176,822 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Milpitas 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 Milpitas

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

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)