Pekin, Illinois has 3 accredited schools offering photography programs. Pekin has a population of about 31,812. Median household income is $58,355 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Peoria, IL metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $56,450 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Photography Schools to Pekin
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Pekin, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Pekin 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 Pekin.
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 Pekin
Pekin is part of the Peoria, IL metro area (BLS area code 37900). 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 | $35,510 | Peoria, IL | $38,936 |
| Graphic Designer | $56,450 | Peoria, IL | $61,897 |
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.
Pekin at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 31,812 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $58,355 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 18.9% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 91.2 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Pekin-Area Cities With Photography Programs
- East Peoria, IL – 8.6 mi away (22,939 pop)
- Peoria, IL – 12.7 mi away (265,218 pop)
- Normal, IL – 33.7 mi away (54,264 pop)
- Bloomington, IL – 35.1 mi away (135,015 pop)
- Galesburg, IL – 47.3 mi away (34,620 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited photography schools are near Pekin, IL?
Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering photography programs near Pekin. The closest is Bradley University in Peoria, IL (9.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (80.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying photography roles near Pekin?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Pekin are: Graphic Designer ($56,450), Photographer ($35,510). 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 East Peoria instead of Pekin?
East Peoria, IL is 8.6 miles from Pekin 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 Pekin an affordable place to study photography?
Pekin’s median household income of $58,355 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Pekin 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 Pekin
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Pekin:
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- Behavioral Health Science programs in Pekin, IL
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- Public Relations programs in Pekin, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in Pekin, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in Pekin, IL
- Technical Communication programs in Pekin, IL
- Professional Writing programs in Pekin, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in Pekin, IL
- Business Development programs in Pekin, IL
- Construction Management programs in Pekin, IL
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- Financial Technology programs in Pekin, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Pekin, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Pekin, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Pekin, IL
- International Business programs in Pekin, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Pekin, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Pekin, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Pekin, IL
- Operations Management programs in Pekin, IL
- Public Administration programs in Pekin, IL
- Real Estate programs in Pekin, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Pekin, IL
- Retail Management programs in Pekin, IL
- Risk Management programs in Pekin, IL
- Statistics programs in Pekin, IL
- Taxation programs in Pekin, IL
- Corrections programs in Pekin, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Pekin, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Pekin, IL
- Criminology programs in Pekin, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Pekin, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Pekin, IL
- Fire Science programs in Pekin, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Pekin, IL
- Legal Services programs in Pekin, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Pekin, IL
- Paralegal programs in Pekin, IL
- Security Management programs in Pekin, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Pekin, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Pekin, IL
- Innovation programs in Pekin, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Pekin, IL
- Software Development programs in Pekin, IL
- User Experience programs in Pekin, IL
- Web Development programs in Pekin, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Pekin, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Pekin, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Pekin, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Pekin, IL
- Public Health programs in Pekin, IL
- Human Resources programs in Pekin, IL
- Project Management programs in Pekin, IL
- Special Education programs in Pekin, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Pekin, IL
- Marketing programs in Pekin, IL
- Finance programs in Pekin, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Pekin, IL
- Sports Management programs in Pekin, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Pekin, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Pekin, IL
- Biology programs in Pekin, IL
- Communications programs in Pekin, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Pekin, IL
- Human Services programs in Pekin, IL
- MBA programs in Pekin, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Pekin, IL
- Nursing programs in Pekin, IL
- Business Administration programs in Pekin, IL
- Computer Science programs in Pekin, IL
- Psychology programs in Pekin, IL
- Education programs in Pekin, IL
- Engineering programs in Pekin, IL
- Technology programs in Pekin, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Pekin, IL
- Healthcare programs in Pekin, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Pekin, IL
- Accounting programs in Pekin, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Pekin, IL
- Social Work programs in Pekin, IL
- Counseling programs in Pekin, 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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