Wheat Ridge, Colorado has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs. Wheat Ridge has a population of about 32,158. Median household income is $87,598 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $72,500 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Photography Schools to Wheat Ridge
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Wheat Ridge, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Wheat Ridge 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 Wheat Ridge.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,958
Avg net price
$32,363/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 56%
- Programs offered: 7
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$46,288
Avg net price
$9,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 93%
- Programs offered: 74
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$39,210
Avg net price
$6,600/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$40,796
Avg net price
$6,007/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,127
Avg net price
$7,813/yr
TuitionIn‑state$2,616
Out‑of‑state$12,840
Key stats- Retention rate: 47%
- Programs offered: 34
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Colorado schools on the Colorado photography page.
Photography Wages Near Wheat Ridge
Wheat Ridge is part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (BLS area code 19740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Photographer | $47,340 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $44,745 |
| Graphic Designer | $72,500 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $68,526 |
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.
Wheat Ridge at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 32,158 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $87,598 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 44.4% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 105.8 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Wheat Ridge-Area Cities With Photography Programs
- Arvada, CO – 4.8 mi away (117,453 pop)
- Lakewood, CO – 5.2 mi away (154,393 pop)
- Golden, CO – 6.2 mi away (20,696 pop)
- Westminster, CO – 8.0 mi away (113,875 pop)
- Englewood, CO – 10.4 mi away (34,050 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited photography schools are near Wheat Ridge, CO?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Wheat Ridge. The closest is Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Lakewood, CO (2.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pikes Peak State College (71.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying photography roles near Wheat Ridge?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Wheat Ridge are: Graphic Designer ($72,500), Photographer ($47,340). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Arvada instead of Wheat Ridge?
Arvada, CO is 4.8 miles from Wheat Ridge 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 Wheat Ridge an affordable place to study photography?
Wheat Ridge’s median household income of $87,598 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wheat Ridge while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado 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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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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