Darien, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs. Darien has a population of about 21,855. Median household income is $109,354 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.7% 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 Darien
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Darien, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Darien 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 Darien.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
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
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
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
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
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
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois photography page.
Photography Wages Near Darien
Darien 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.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Photographer | $36,810 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $35,531 |
| Graphic Designer | $66,490 | Chicago-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.
Darien at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 21,855 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $109,354 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 51.7% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Darien-Area Cities With Photography Programs
- Woodridge, IL – 3.1 mi away (33,476 pop)
- Westmont, IL – 3.5 mi away (24,767 pop)
- Downers Grove, IL – 3.9 mi away (49,473 pop)
- Lisle, IL – 6.4 mi away (22,930 pop)
- Bolingbrook, IL – 7.2 mi away (74,518 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited photography schools are near Darien, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Darien. The closest is College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL (8.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Columbia College Chicago (20.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying photography roles near Darien?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Darien 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 Woodridge instead of Darien?
Woodridge, IL is 3.1 miles from Darien 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 Darien an affordable place to study photography?
Darien’s median household income of $109,354 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Darien 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 Darien
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Darien:
- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Darien, IL
- Medical Assistant programs in Darien, IL
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Darien, IL
- Health Science programs in Darien, IL
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Darien, IL
- Entrepreneurship programs in Darien, IL
- Interior Design programs in Darien, IL
- Sustainability Management programs in Darien, IL
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Darien, IL
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Darien, IL
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Darien, IL
- Journalism programs in Darien, IL
- Public Relations programs in Darien, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in Darien, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in Darien, IL
- Technical Communication programs in Darien, IL
- Professional Writing programs in Darien, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in Darien, IL
- Business Development programs in Darien, IL
- Construction Management programs in Darien, IL
- Economics programs in Darien, IL
- Financial Technology programs in Darien, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Darien, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Darien, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Darien, IL
- International Business programs in Darien, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Darien, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Darien, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Darien, IL
- Operations Management programs in Darien, IL
- Public Administration programs in Darien, IL
- Real Estate programs in Darien, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Darien, IL
- Retail Management programs in Darien, IL
- Risk Management programs in Darien, IL
- Statistics programs in Darien, IL
- Taxation programs in Darien, IL
- Corrections programs in Darien, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Darien, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Darien, IL
- Criminology programs in Darien, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Darien, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Darien, IL
- Fire Science programs in Darien, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Darien, IL
- Legal Services programs in Darien, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Darien, IL
- Paralegal programs in Darien, IL
- Security Management programs in Darien, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Darien, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Darien, IL
- Innovation programs in Darien, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Darien, IL
- Software Development programs in Darien, IL
- User Experience programs in Darien, IL
- Web Development programs in Darien, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Darien, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Darien, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Darien, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Darien, IL
- Public Health programs in Darien, IL
- Human Resources programs in Darien, IL
- Project Management programs in Darien, IL
- Special Education programs in Darien, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Darien, IL
- Marketing programs in Darien, IL
- Finance programs in Darien, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Darien, IL
- Sports Management programs in Darien, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Darien, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Darien, IL
- Biology programs in Darien, IL
- Communications programs in Darien, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Darien, IL
- Human Services programs in Darien, IL
- MBA programs in Darien, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Darien, IL
- Nursing programs in Darien, IL
- Business Administration programs in Darien, IL
- Computer Science programs in Darien, IL
- Psychology programs in Darien, IL
- Education programs in Darien, IL
- Engineering programs in Darien, IL
- Technology programs in Darien, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Darien, IL
- Healthcare programs in Darien, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Darien, IL
- Accounting programs in Darien, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Darien, IL
- Social Work programs in Darien, IL
- Counseling programs in Darien, 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)
