Sterling, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $31,360 to $43,137 per year for indexed programs. Sterling has a population of about 14,670. Median household income is $52,647 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $62,560 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Photography Schools to Sterling
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Sterling, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Sterling 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 Sterling.
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
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
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
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
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
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 Sterling
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (Illinois, statewide) |
|---|
| Photographer | $36,570 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,560 |
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.
Sterling at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 14,670 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $52,647 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 18.5% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
Other Sterling-Area Cities With Photography Programs
- Clinton, IA – 28.3 mi away (30,930 pop)
- Freeport, IL – 34.0 mi away (24,717 pop)
- East Moline, IL – 40.6 mi away (21,135 pop)
- Peru, IL – 42.6 mi away (30,795 pop)
- Bettendorf, IA – 43.4 mi away (35,727 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited photography schools are near Sterling, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Sterling. The closest is Judson University in Elgin, IL (74.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is William Rainey Harper College (85.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying photography roles in Illinois?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles in Illinois are: Graphic Designer ($62,560), Photographer ($36,570). Wages for Sterling workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Clinton instead of Sterling?
Clinton, IA is 28.3 miles from Sterling 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 Sterling an affordable place to study photography?
Sterling’s median household income of $52,647 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sterling 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 Sterling
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Sterling:
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- Entrepreneurship programs in Sterling, IL
- Interior Design programs in Sterling, IL
- Sustainability Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Sterling, IL
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Sterling, IL
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Sterling, IL
- Journalism programs in Sterling, IL
- Public Relations programs in Sterling, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in Sterling, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in Sterling, IL
- Technical Communication programs in Sterling, IL
- Professional Writing programs in Sterling, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in Sterling, IL
- Business Development programs in Sterling, IL
- Construction Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Economics programs in Sterling, IL
- Financial Technology programs in Sterling, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Sterling, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Sterling, IL
- International Business programs in Sterling, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Sterling, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Sterling, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Operations Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Public Administration programs in Sterling, IL
- Real Estate programs in Sterling, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Retail Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Risk Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Statistics programs in Sterling, IL
- Taxation programs in Sterling, IL
- Corrections programs in Sterling, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Sterling, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Sterling, IL
- Criminology programs in Sterling, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Sterling, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Fire Science programs in Sterling, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Sterling, IL
- Legal Services programs in Sterling, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Sterling, IL
- Paralegal programs in Sterling, IL
- Security Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Sterling, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Sterling, IL
- Innovation programs in Sterling, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Sterling, IL
- Software Development programs in Sterling, IL
- User Experience programs in Sterling, IL
- Web Development programs in Sterling, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Sterling, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Sterling, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Sterling, IL
- Public Health programs in Sterling, IL
- Human Resources programs in Sterling, IL
- Project Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Special Education programs in Sterling, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Sterling, IL
- Marketing programs in Sterling, IL
- Finance programs in Sterling, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Sterling, IL
- Sports Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Sterling, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Sterling, IL
- Biology programs in Sterling, IL
- Communications programs in Sterling, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Sterling, IL
- Human Services programs in Sterling, IL
- MBA programs in Sterling, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Sterling, IL
- Nursing programs in Sterling, IL
- Business Administration programs in Sterling, IL
- Computer Science programs in Sterling, IL
- Psychology programs in Sterling, IL
- Education programs in Sterling, IL
- Engineering programs in Sterling, IL
- Technology programs in Sterling, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Sterling, IL
- Healthcare programs in Sterling, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Sterling, IL
- Accounting programs in Sterling, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Sterling, IL
- Social Work programs in Sterling, IL
- Counseling programs in Sterling, 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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