National City, California has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $1,156 to $14,027 per year for indexed programs. National City has a population of about 55,960. Median household income is $64,248 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.9% 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 National City
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near National City, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from National City 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 National City.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,552
Avg net price
$3,133/yr
TuitionIn‑state$1,180
Out‑of‑state$10,756
Key stats- Retention rate: 100%
- Programs offered: 55
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,824
Avg net price
$45,566/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 8
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,504
Avg net price
$26,285/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 17
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,533
Avg net price
$4,606/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
71%
Graduation rate
64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$65,464
Avg net price
$20,161/yr
TuitionIn‑state$49,470
Out‑of‑state$49,470
Key stats- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 12
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,950
Avg net price
$14,379/yr
TuitionIn‑state$1,388
Out‑of‑state$9,884
Key stats- Retention rate: 100%
- Programs offered: 47
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,958
Avg net price
$48,661/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 6
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$29,633
Avg net price
$39,011/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 73%
- Programs offered: 4
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California photography page.
Photography Wages Near National City
National City 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.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Photographer | $44,030 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $39,348 |
| Graphic Designer | $75,130 | CA 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.
National City at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 55,960 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $64,248 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 16.9% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 111.9 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other National City-Area Cities With Photography Programs
- Coronado, CA – 3.6 mi away (25,952 pop)
- Chula Vista, CA – 5.5 mi away (267,172 pop)
- Lemon Grove, CA – 6.0 mi away (26,860 pop)
- Imperial Beach, CA – 6.8 mi away (27,418 pop)
- La Mesa, CA – 8.5 mi away (59,948 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited photography schools are near National City, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near National City. The closest is Southwestern College in Chula Vista, CA (6.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Irvine Valley College (80.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying photography roles near National City?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near National City 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 Coronado instead of National City?
Coronado, CA is 3.6 miles from National City 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 National City an affordable place to study photography?
National City’s median household income of $64,248 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in National City 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 National City
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for National City:
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- Medical Assistant programs in National City, CA
- Pharmacy Technician programs in National City, CA
- Health Science programs in National City, CA
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in National City, CA
- Entrepreneurship programs in National City, CA
- Interior Design programs in National City, CA
- Sustainability Management programs in National City, CA
- Behavioral Health Science programs in National City, CA
- Mental Health Counseling programs in National City, CA
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in National City, CA
- Journalism programs in National City, CA
- Public Relations programs in National City, CA
- Communication Disorders programs in National City, CA
- Speech Pathology programs in National City, CA
- Technical Communication programs in National City, CA
- Professional Writing programs in National City, CA
- Strategic Communications programs in National City, CA
- Business Development programs in National City, CA
- Construction Management programs in National City, CA
- Economics programs in National City, CA
- Financial Technology programs in National City, CA
- Forensic Accounting programs in National City, CA
- Health Information Management programs in National City, CA
- Hospitality Management programs in National City, CA
- International Business programs in National City, CA
- Organizational Leadership programs in National City, CA
- Management Information Systems programs in National City, CA
- Nonprofit Management programs in National City, CA
- Operations Management programs in National City, CA
- Public Administration programs in National City, CA
- Real Estate programs in National City, CA
- Recreation Management programs in National City, CA
- Retail Management programs in National City, CA
- Risk Management programs in National City, CA
- Statistics programs in National City, CA
- Taxation programs in National City, CA
- Corrections programs in National City, CA
- Crime Analysis programs in National City, CA
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in National City, CA
- Criminology programs in National City, CA
- Cybercrime programs in National City, CA
- Emergency Management programs in National City, CA
- Fire Science programs in National City, CA
- Forensic Science programs in National City, CA
- Legal Services programs in National City, CA
- Legal Studies programs in National City, CA
- Paralegal programs in National City, CA
- Security Management programs in National City, CA
- Cloud Computing programs in National City, CA
- Computer Engineering programs in National City, CA
- Innovation programs in National City, CA
- Mobile App Development programs in National City, CA
- Software Development programs in National City, CA
- User Experience programs in National City, CA
- Web Development programs in National City, CA
- Artificial Intelligence programs in National City, CA
- Machine Learning programs in National City, CA
- Supply Chain Management programs in National City, CA
- Data Analytics programs in National City, CA
- Public Health programs in National City, CA
- Human Resources programs in National City, CA
- Project Management programs in National City, CA
- Special Education programs in National City, CA
- Homeland Security programs in National City, CA
- Marketing programs in National City, CA
- Finance programs in National City, CA
- Kinesiology programs in National City, CA
- Sports Management programs in National City, CA
- Early Childhood Education programs in National City, CA
- Elementary Education programs in National City, CA
- Biology programs in National City, CA
- Communications programs in National City, CA
- Graphic Design programs in National City, CA
- Human Services programs in National City, CA
- MBA programs in National City, CA
- Criminal Justice programs in National City, CA
- Nursing programs in National City, CA
- Business Administration programs in National City, CA
- Computer Science programs in National City, CA
- Psychology programs in National City, CA
- Education programs in National City, CA
- Engineering programs in National City, CA
- Technology programs in National City, CA
- Liberal Arts programs in National City, CA
- Healthcare programs in National City, CA
- Cybersecurity programs in National City, CA
- Accounting programs in National City, CA
- Healthcare Administration programs in National City, CA
- Social Work programs in National City, CA
- Counseling programs in National City, CA
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.
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