Best Photography Schools Near Aurora, IL (2026)

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

Aurora, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $31,360 to $43,137 per year for indexed programs. Aurora has a population of about 179,867. Median household income is $90,109 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $66,490 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Photography Schools to Aurora

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

Judson University

Elgin, IL 20.5 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
52.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 48%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,313
Avg net price $18,558/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,360
Out‑of‑state$31,360
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Dominican University

River Forest, IL 25.9 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,327
Avg net price $11,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL 33.8 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
79.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,740
Avg net price $10,974/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL 35.1 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
24.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,195
Avg net price $26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL 36.4 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
66.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,530
Avg net price $36,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Bradley University

Peoria, IL 100.8 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,852
Avg net price $22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL 114.4 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
90.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $81,054
Avg net price $14,355/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Millikin University

Decatur, IL 137.5 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
51.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,262
Avg net price $21,989/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Photography Wages Near Aurora

Aurora is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Photographer$36,810Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$35,531
Graphic Designer$66,490Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$64,180

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.

Aurora at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population179,867Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$90,109Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+37.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Aurora-Area Cities With Photography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Aurora, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Aurora. The closest is College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL (12.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Dominican University (25.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Aurora?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Aurora are: Graphic Designer ($66,490), Photographer ($36,810). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Batavia instead of Aurora?

Batavia, IL is 6.0 miles from Aurora 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 Aurora an affordable place to study photography?

Aurora’s median household income of $90,109 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Aurora while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Aurora

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

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 Illinois: Online Programs (2026)