Walnut Creek, California has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs. Walnut Creek has a population of about 69,790. Median household income is $135,665 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 69.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $92,050 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Photography Schools to Walnut Creek
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Walnut Creek, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$39,008
Avg net price
$40,613/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 15
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,414
Avg net price
$53,909/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 90%
- Programs offered: 6
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$57,072
Avg net price
$7,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$70,484
Avg net price
$41,008/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 88%
- Programs offered: 9
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
94%
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$64,876
Avg net price
$9,338/yr
TuitionIn‑state$8,018
Out‑of‑state$20,618
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 12
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,368
Avg net price
$2,818/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 62
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,044
Avg net price
$-2,296/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$41,198
Avg net price
$46,080/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 6
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California photography page.
Photography Wages Near Walnut Creek
Walnut Creek is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). 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 | $58,840 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $50,900 |
| Graphic Designer | $92,050 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $79,628 |
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.
Walnut Creek at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 69,790 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $135,665 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 69.4% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 115.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Walnut Creek-Area Cities With Photography Programs
- Pleasant Hill, CA – 4.1 mi away (34,853 pop)
- Lafayette, CA – 4.4 mi away (26,103 pop)
- Concord, CA – 5.2 mi away (649,437 pop)
- Danville, CA – 7.3 mi away (44,631 pop)
- Martinez, CA – 7.8 mi away (38,259 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited photography schools are near Walnut Creek, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Walnut Creek. The closest is Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, CA (4.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California College of the Arts (21.7 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying photography roles near Walnut Creek?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Walnut Creek are: Graphic Designer ($92,050), Photographer ($58,840). 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 Pleasant Hill instead of Walnut Creek?
Pleasant Hill, CA is 4.1 miles from Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek an affordable place to study photography?
Walnut Creek’s median household income of $135,665 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Walnut Creek 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
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- Emergency Management programs in Walnut Creek, CA
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- Forensic Science programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Legal Services programs in Walnut Creek, CA
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- Paralegal programs in Walnut Creek, CA
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- Cloud Computing programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Computer Engineering programs in Walnut Creek, CA
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- Software Development programs in Walnut Creek, CA
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- Web Development programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Machine Learning programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Supply Chain Management programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Data Analytics programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Public Health programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Human Resources programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Project Management programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Special Education programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Homeland Security programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Marketing programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Finance programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Kinesiology programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Sports Management programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Early Childhood Education programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Elementary Education programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Biology programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Communications programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Graphic Design programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Human Services programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- MBA programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Criminal Justice programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Nursing programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Business Administration programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Computer Science programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Psychology programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Education programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Engineering programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Technology programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Liberal Arts programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Healthcare programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Cybersecurity programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Accounting programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Social Work programs in Walnut Creek, CA
- Counseling programs in Walnut Creek, 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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