Palatine, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $31,360 to $43,137 per year for indexed programs. Palatine has a population of about 66,548. Median household income is $95,950 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.8% 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 Palatine
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Palatine, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Palatine 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 Palatine.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
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
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
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
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 Palatine
Palatine 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.
Palatine at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 66,548 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $95,950 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 49.8% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Palatine-Area Cities With Photography Programs
- Rolling Meadows, IL – 3.1 mi away (24,021 pop)
- Arlington Heights, IL – 3.5 mi away (75,525 pop)
- Buffalo Grove, IL – 5.4 mi away (41,346 pop)
- Wheeling, IL – 6.2 mi away (38,315 pop)
- Schaumburg, IL – 6.4 mi away (74,446 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited photography schools are near Palatine, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Palatine. The closest is William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, IL (2.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Triton College (17.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying photography roles near Palatine?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Palatine 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 Rolling Meadows instead of Palatine?
Rolling Meadows, IL is 3.1 miles from Palatine 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 Palatine an affordable place to study photography?
Palatine’s median household income of $95,950 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palatine 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
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- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Palatine, IL
- Criminology programs in Palatine, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Palatine, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Palatine, IL
- Fire Science programs in Palatine, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Palatine, IL
- Legal Services programs in Palatine, IL
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- Paralegal programs in Palatine, IL
- Security Management programs in Palatine, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Palatine, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Palatine, IL
- Innovation programs in Palatine, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Palatine, IL
- Software Development programs in Palatine, IL
- User Experience programs in Palatine, IL
- Web Development programs in Palatine, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Palatine, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Palatine, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Palatine, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Palatine, IL
- Public Health programs in Palatine, IL
- Human Resources programs in Palatine, IL
- Project Management programs in Palatine, IL
- Special Education programs in Palatine, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Palatine, IL
- Marketing programs in Palatine, IL
- Finance programs in Palatine, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Palatine, IL
- Sports Management programs in Palatine, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Palatine, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Palatine, IL
- Biology programs in Palatine, IL
- Communications programs in Palatine, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Palatine, IL
- Human Services programs in Palatine, IL
- MBA programs in Palatine, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Palatine, IL
- Nursing programs in Palatine, IL
- Business Administration programs in Palatine, IL
- Computer Science programs in Palatine, IL
- Psychology programs in Palatine, IL
- Education programs in Palatine, IL
- Engineering programs in Palatine, IL
- Technology programs in Palatine, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Palatine, IL
- Healthcare programs in Palatine, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Palatine, IL
- Accounting programs in Palatine, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Palatine, IL
- Social Work programs in Palatine, IL
- Counseling programs in Palatine, 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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