Best Photography Schools Near Ridgecrest, CA (2026)

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

Ridgecrest, California has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $1,438 to $20,730 per year for indexed programs. Ridgecrest has a population of about 28,138. Median household income is $88,107 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $61,970 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Photography Schools to Ridgecrest

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

Valencia, CA 99.7 miles from Ridgecrest
  • 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

#2

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, CA 105.2 miles from Ridgecrest
  • 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

#3

University of La Verne

La Verne, CA 106.0 miles from Ridgecrest
  • 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

#4

New York Film Academy

Burbank, CA 109.1 miles from Ridgecrest
  • 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

#5

Rio Hondo College

Whittier, CA 113.3 miles from Ridgecrest
  • 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

#6

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA 113.5 miles from Ridgecrest
  • 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

#7

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA 116.6 miles from Ridgecrest
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
63.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,379
Avg net price $21,413/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 118.4 miles from Ridgecrest
  • 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

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

Photography Wages Near Ridgecrest

Ridgecrest is part of the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area (BLS area code 12540). 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$56,220Bakersfield-Delano, CA$55,719
Graphic Designer$61,970Bakersfield-Delano, CA$61,417

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.

Ridgecrest at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population28,138Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$88,107Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+31.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)100.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Ridgecrest-Area Cities With Photography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Ridgecrest, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Ridgecrest. The closest is Barstow Community College in Barstow, CA (63.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California Institute of the Arts (99.7 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Ridgecrest?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Ridgecrest are: Graphic Designer ($61,970), Photographer ($56,220). 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 Barstow instead of Ridgecrest?

Barstow, CA is 63.3 miles from Ridgecrest 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 Ridgecrest an affordable place to study photography?

Ridgecrest’s median household income of $88,107 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ridgecrest 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 Ridgecrest

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

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)