Joliet, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs. Joliet has a population of about 149,785. Median household income is $88,026 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.0% 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 Joliet
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Joliet, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Joliet 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 Joliet.
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
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
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
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 Joliet
Joliet 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.
Joliet at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 149,785 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $88,026 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 25.0% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Joliet-Area Cities With Photography Programs
- Crest Hill, IL – 4.1 mi away (21,169 pop)
- Lockport, IL – 7.9 mi away (25,231 pop)
- Plainfield, IL – 7.9 mi away (42,933 pop)
- Romeoville, IL – 8.1 mi away (39,706 pop)
- New Lenox, IL – 9.4 mi away (26,217 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited photography schools are near Joliet, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Joliet. The closest is College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL (22.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Illinois Chicago (35.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying photography roles near Joliet?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Joliet 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 Crest Hill instead of Joliet?
Crest Hill, IL is 4.1 miles from Joliet 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 Joliet an affordable place to study photography?
Joliet’s median household income of $88,026 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Joliet 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 Joliet
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Joliet:
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- Entrepreneurship programs in Joliet, IL
- Interior Design programs in Joliet, IL
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- Behavioral Health Science programs in Joliet, IL
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Joliet, IL
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Joliet, IL
- Journalism programs in Joliet, IL
- Public Relations programs in Joliet, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in Joliet, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in Joliet, IL
- Technical Communication programs in Joliet, IL
- Professional Writing programs in Joliet, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in Joliet, IL
- Business Development programs in Joliet, IL
- Construction Management programs in Joliet, IL
- Economics programs in Joliet, IL
- Financial Technology programs in Joliet, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Joliet, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Joliet, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Joliet, IL
- International Business programs in Joliet, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Joliet, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Joliet, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Joliet, IL
- Operations Management programs in Joliet, IL
- Public Administration programs in Joliet, IL
- Real Estate programs in Joliet, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Joliet, IL
- Retail Management programs in Joliet, IL
- Risk Management programs in Joliet, IL
- Statistics programs in Joliet, IL
- Taxation programs in Joliet, IL
- Corrections programs in Joliet, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Joliet, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Joliet, IL
- Criminology programs in Joliet, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Joliet, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Joliet, IL
- Fire Science programs in Joliet, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Joliet, IL
- Legal Services programs in Joliet, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Joliet, IL
- Paralegal programs in Joliet, IL
- Security Management programs in Joliet, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Joliet, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Joliet, IL
- Innovation programs in Joliet, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Joliet, IL
- Software Development programs in Joliet, IL
- User Experience programs in Joliet, IL
- Web Development programs in Joliet, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Joliet, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Joliet, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Joliet, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Joliet, IL
- Public Health programs in Joliet, IL
- Human Resources programs in Joliet, IL
- Project Management programs in Joliet, IL
- Special Education programs in Joliet, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Joliet, IL
- Marketing programs in Joliet, IL
- Finance programs in Joliet, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Joliet, IL
- Sports Management programs in Joliet, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Joliet, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Joliet, IL
- Biology programs in Joliet, IL
- Communications programs in Joliet, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Joliet, IL
- Human Services programs in Joliet, IL
- MBA programs in Joliet, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Joliet, IL
- Nursing programs in Joliet, IL
- Business Administration programs in Joliet, IL
- Computer Science programs in Joliet, IL
- Psychology programs in Joliet, IL
- Education programs in Joliet, IL
- Engineering programs in Joliet, IL
- Technology programs in Joliet, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Joliet, IL
- Healthcare programs in Joliet, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Joliet, IL
- Accounting programs in Joliet, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Joliet, IL
- Social Work programs in Joliet, IL
- Counseling programs in Joliet, 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.
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