Rockford, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $31,360 to $43,137 per year for indexed programs. Rockford has a population of about 147,649. Median household income is $53,328 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Rockford, IL metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $54,530 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Photography Schools to Rockford
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Rockford, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Rockford 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 Rockford.
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 Rockford
Rockford is part of the Rockford, IL metro area (BLS area code 40420). 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 | $36,360 | Rockford, IL | $39,436 |
| Graphic Designer | $54,530 | Rockford, IL | $59,143 |
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.
Rockford at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 147,649 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $53,328 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 23.2% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 92.2 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Rockford-Area Cities With Photography Programs
- Loves Park, IL – 6.3 mi away (23,413 pop)
- Machesney Park, IL – 7.7 mi away (22,873 pop)
- Belvidere, IL – 10.2 mi away (25,070 pop)
- Beloit, WI – 18.4 mi away (63,470 pop)
- DeKalb, IL – 28.0 mi away (67,501 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited photography schools are near Rockford, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Rockford. The closest is McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, IL (38.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Madison Area Technical College (61.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying photography roles near Rockford?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Rockford are: Graphic Designer ($54,530), Photographer ($36,360). 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 Loves Park instead of Rockford?
Loves Park, IL is 6.3 miles from Rockford 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 Rockford an affordable place to study photography?
Rockford’s median household income of $53,328 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rockford 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 Rockford
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Rockford:
- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Rockford, IL
- Medical Assistant programs in Rockford, IL
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Rockford, IL
- Health Science programs in Rockford, IL
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Rockford, IL
- Entrepreneurship programs in Rockford, IL
- Interior Design programs in Rockford, IL
- Sustainability Management programs in Rockford, IL
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Rockford, IL
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Rockford, IL
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Rockford, IL
- Journalism programs in Rockford, IL
- Public Relations programs in Rockford, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in Rockford, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in Rockford, IL
- Technical Communication programs in Rockford, IL
- Professional Writing programs in Rockford, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in Rockford, IL
- Business Development programs in Rockford, IL
- Construction Management programs in Rockford, IL
- Economics programs in Rockford, IL
- Financial Technology programs in Rockford, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Rockford, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Rockford, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Rockford, IL
- International Business programs in Rockford, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Rockford, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Rockford, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Rockford, IL
- Operations Management programs in Rockford, IL
- Public Administration programs in Rockford, IL
- Real Estate programs in Rockford, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Rockford, IL
- Retail Management programs in Rockford, IL
- Risk Management programs in Rockford, IL
- Statistics programs in Rockford, IL
- Taxation programs in Rockford, IL
- Corrections programs in Rockford, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Rockford, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Rockford, IL
- Criminology programs in Rockford, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Rockford, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Rockford, IL
- Fire Science programs in Rockford, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Rockford, IL
- Legal Services programs in Rockford, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Rockford, IL
- Paralegal programs in Rockford, IL
- Security Management programs in Rockford, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Rockford, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Rockford, IL
- Innovation programs in Rockford, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Rockford, IL
- Software Development programs in Rockford, IL
- User Experience programs in Rockford, IL
- Web Development programs in Rockford, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Rockford, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Rockford, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Rockford, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Rockford, IL
- Public Health programs in Rockford, IL
- Human Resources programs in Rockford, IL
- Project Management programs in Rockford, IL
- Special Education programs in Rockford, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Rockford, IL
- Marketing programs in Rockford, IL
- Finance programs in Rockford, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Rockford, IL
- Sports Management programs in Rockford, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Rockford, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Rockford, IL
- Biology programs in Rockford, IL
- Communications programs in Rockford, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Rockford, IL
- Human Services programs in Rockford, IL
- MBA programs in Rockford, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Rockford, IL
- Nursing programs in Rockford, IL
- Business Administration programs in Rockford, IL
- Computer Science programs in Rockford, IL
- Psychology programs in Rockford, IL
- Education programs in Rockford, IL
- Engineering programs in Rockford, IL
- Technology programs in Rockford, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Rockford, IL
- Healthcare programs in Rockford, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Rockford, IL
- Accounting programs in Rockford, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Rockford, IL
- Social Work programs in Rockford, IL
- Counseling programs in Rockford, 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)
