Best Photography Schools Near Newport Beach, CA (2026)

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

Newport Beach, California has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $1,156 to $13,939 per year for indexed programs. Newport Beach has a population of about 84,304. Median household income is $158,461 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 69.6% 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 Newport Beach

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Newport Beach, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Newport 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 Newport 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 9.9 miles from Newport 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

Cypress College

Cypress, CA 17.3 miles from Newport 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

#3

La Sierra University

Riverside, CA 29.4 miles from Newport 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

#4

Rio Hondo College

Whittier, CA 29.5 miles from Newport 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

#5

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 33.3 miles from Newport 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

#6

University of La Verne

La Verne, CA 33.9 miles from Newport 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

#7

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, CA 42.6 miles from Newport 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 45.8 miles from Newport 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 Newport Beach

Newport Beach 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.

Newport Beach at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population84,304Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$158,461Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+69.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Newport Beach-Area Cities With Photography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Newport Beach. The closest is Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA (4.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cypress College (17.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Newport Beach 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 Costa Mesa instead of Newport Beach?

Costa Mesa, CA is 4.5 miles from Newport 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 Newport Beach an affordable place to study photography?

Newport Beach’s median household income of $158,461 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Newport 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 Newport Beach

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Newport 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)