Best Photography Schools Near Clearwater, FL (2026)

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

Clearwater, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs. Clearwater has a population of about 117,075. Median household income is $64,440 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $62,900 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Photography Schools to Clearwater

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

St Petersburg College

St. Petersburg, FL 16.4 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
74.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,557
Avg net price $1,471/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Eckerd College

Saint Petersburg, FL 18.9 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
38.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,819
Avg net price $38,071/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota

Bradenton, FL 38.8 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
48.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,318
Avg net price $22,356/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Ringling College of Art and Design

Sarasota, FL 55.6 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
42.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,325
Avg net price $57,742/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL 104.4 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
80.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,308
Avg net price $10,411/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,368
Out‑of‑state$22,467
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Eastern Florida State College

Melbourne, FL 128.1 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
63.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,195
Avg net price $6,440/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,496
Out‑of‑state$9,739
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Daytona State College

Daytona Beach, FL 131.1 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
59.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,096
Avg net price $7,177/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 93

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Barry University

Miami, FL 214.3 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
40.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 77%
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,966
Avg net price $22,613/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,350
Out‑of‑state$34,350
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Photography Wages Near Clearwater

Clearwater is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area (BLS area code 45300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Photographer$44,530Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL$44,133
Graphic Designer$62,900Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL$62,339

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.

Clearwater at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population117,075Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$64,440Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+32.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)100.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Clearwater-Area Cities With Photography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Clearwater, FL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Clearwater. The closest is Pinellas Technical College-St. Petersburg in Saint Petersburg, FL (15.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota (38.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Clearwater?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Clearwater are: Graphic Designer ($62,900), Photographer ($44,530). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Dunedin instead of Clearwater?

Dunedin, FL is 4.0 miles from Clearwater 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 Clearwater an affordable place to study photography?

Clearwater’s median household income of $64,440 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Clearwater while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Clearwater

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

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 Florida: Online Programs (2026)