Best Photography Schools Near Peoria, IL (2026)

Peoria, Illinois has 3 accredited schools offering photography programs. Peoria has a population of about 112,126. Median household income is $58,716 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.0% 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 Peoria

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Peoria, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Peoria 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:

  • 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 Peoria. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Bradley University

Peoria, IL 3.7 miles from Peoria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,852
Avg net price $22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois photography page.


Photography Wages Near Peoria

Peoria 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Photographer$35,510Peoria, IL$38,936
Graphic Designer$56,450Peoria, 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.


Peoria at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population112,126Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$58,716Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+38.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Peoria-Area Cities With Photography Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Peoria, IL?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering photography programs near Peoria. The closest is Bradley University in Peoria, IL (3.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (85.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Peoria?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Peoria 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 Peoria?

East Peoria, IL is 6.6 miles from Peoria 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 Peoria an affordable place to study photography?

Peoria’s median household income of $58,716 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Peoria 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 Peoria

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Peoria:

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.