Bloomington, Illinois has 3 accredited schools offering photography programs. Bloomington has a population of about 78,703. Median household income is $75,449 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Bloomington, IL metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $57,230 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Photography Schools to Bloomington
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Bloomington, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Bloomington 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 Bloomington.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,852
Avg net price
$22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 22
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,262
Avg net price
$21,989/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 12
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$81,054
Avg net price
$14,355/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 95%
- Programs offered: 17
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
48%
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,313
Avg net price
$18,558/yr
TuitionIn‑state$31,360
Out‑of‑state$31,360
Key stats- Retention rate: 66%
- Programs offered: 7
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$60,327
Avg net price
$11,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 9
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,740
Avg net price
$10,974/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 15
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,195
Avg net price
$26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 65%
- Programs offered: 13
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,530
Avg net price
$36,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 26
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois photography page.
Photography Wages Near Bloomington
Bloomington is part of the Bloomington, IL metro area (BLS area code 14010). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Photographer | $36,570 | IL statewide | $39,112 |
| Graphic Designer | $57,230 | Bloomington, IL | $61,209 |
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.
Bloomington at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 78,703 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $75,449 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 48.9% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 93.5 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Bloomington-Area Cities With Photography Programs
- Normal, IL – 3.3 mi away (54,264 pop)
- East Peoria, IL – 33.0 mi away (22,939 pop)
- Pekin, IL – 35.1 mi away (33,038 pop)
- Peoria, IL – 38.9 mi away (265,218 pop)
- Decatur, IL – 42.9 mi away (89,653 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited photography schools are near Bloomington, IL?
Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering photography programs near Bloomington. The closest is Bradley University in Peoria, IL (37.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (46.5 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying photography roles near Bloomington?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Bloomington are: Graphic Designer ($57,230), Photographer ($36,570). 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 Normal instead of Bloomington?
Normal, IL is 3.3 miles from Bloomington 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 Bloomington an affordable place to study photography?
Bloomington’s median household income of $75,449 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bloomington 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 Bloomington
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Bloomington:
- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Bloomington, IL
- Medical Assistant programs in Bloomington, IL
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Bloomington, IL
- Health Science programs in Bloomington, IL
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Bloomington, IL
- Entrepreneurship programs in Bloomington, IL
- Interior Design programs in Bloomington, IL
- Sustainability Management programs in Bloomington, IL
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Bloomington, IL
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Bloomington, IL
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Bloomington, IL
- Journalism programs in Bloomington, IL
- Public Relations programs in Bloomington, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in Bloomington, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in Bloomington, IL
- Technical Communication programs in Bloomington, IL
- Professional Writing programs in Bloomington, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in Bloomington, IL
- Business Development programs in Bloomington, IL
- Construction Management programs in Bloomington, IL
- Economics programs in Bloomington, IL
- Financial Technology programs in Bloomington, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Bloomington, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Bloomington, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Bloomington, IL
- International Business programs in Bloomington, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Bloomington, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Bloomington, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Bloomington, IL
- Operations Management programs in Bloomington, IL
- Public Administration programs in Bloomington, IL
- Real Estate programs in Bloomington, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Bloomington, IL
- Retail Management programs in Bloomington, IL
- Risk Management programs in Bloomington, IL
- Statistics programs in Bloomington, IL
- Taxation programs in Bloomington, IL
- Corrections programs in Bloomington, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Bloomington, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Bloomington, IL
- Criminology programs in Bloomington, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Bloomington, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Bloomington, IL
- Fire Science programs in Bloomington, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Bloomington, IL
- Legal Services programs in Bloomington, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Bloomington, IL
- Paralegal programs in Bloomington, IL
- Security Management programs in Bloomington, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Bloomington, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Bloomington, IL
- Innovation programs in Bloomington, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Bloomington, IL
- Software Development programs in Bloomington, IL
- User Experience programs in Bloomington, IL
- Web Development programs in Bloomington, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Bloomington, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Bloomington, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Bloomington, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Bloomington, IL
- Public Health programs in Bloomington, IL
- Human Resources programs in Bloomington, IL
- Project Management programs in Bloomington, IL
- Special Education programs in Bloomington, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Bloomington, IL
- Marketing programs in Bloomington, IL
- Finance programs in Bloomington, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Bloomington, IL
- Sports Management programs in Bloomington, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Bloomington, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Bloomington, IL
- Biology programs in Bloomington, IL
- Communications programs in Bloomington, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Bloomington, IL
- Human Services programs in Bloomington, IL
- MBA programs in Bloomington, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Bloomington, IL
- Nursing programs in Bloomington, IL
- Business Administration programs in Bloomington, IL
- Computer Science programs in Bloomington, IL
- Psychology programs in Bloomington, IL
- Education programs in Bloomington, IL
- Engineering programs in Bloomington, IL
- Technology programs in Bloomington, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Bloomington, IL
- Healthcare programs in Bloomington, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Bloomington, IL
- Accounting programs in Bloomington, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Bloomington, IL
- Social Work programs in Bloomington, IL
- Counseling programs in Bloomington, IL
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)
