Waukegan, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $38,750 to $50,822 per year for indexed programs. Waukegan has a population of about 88,919. Median household income is $70,578 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.0% 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 Waukegan
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Waukegan, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Waukegan 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 Waukegan.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
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
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
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 Waukegan
Waukegan 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.
Waukegan at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 88,919 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $70,578 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 21.0% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Waukegan-Area Cities With Photography Programs
- Gurnee, IL – 3.4 mi away (30,957 pop)
- North Chicago, IL – 3.7 mi away (29,951 pop)
- Zion, IL – 6.3 mi away (24,029 pop)
- Libertyville, IL – 7.5 mi away (20,405 pop)
- Grayslake, IL – 8.5 mi away (20,831 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited photography schools are near Waukegan, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Waukegan. The closest is Carthage College in Kenosha, WI (17.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Loyola University Chicago (27.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying photography roles near Waukegan?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Waukegan 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 Gurnee instead of Waukegan?
Gurnee, IL is 3.4 miles from Waukegan 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 Waukegan an affordable place to study photography?
Waukegan’s median household income of $70,578 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Waukegan 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 Waukegan
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Waukegan:
- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Waukegan, IL
- Medical Assistant programs in Waukegan, IL
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Waukegan, IL
- Health Science programs in Waukegan, IL
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Waukegan, IL
- Entrepreneurship programs in Waukegan, IL
- Interior Design programs in Waukegan, IL
- Sustainability Management programs in Waukegan, IL
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Waukegan, IL
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Waukegan, IL
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Waukegan, IL
- Journalism programs in Waukegan, IL
- Public Relations programs in Waukegan, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in Waukegan, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in Waukegan, IL
- Technical Communication programs in Waukegan, IL
- Professional Writing programs in Waukegan, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in Waukegan, IL
- Business Development programs in Waukegan, IL
- Construction Management programs in Waukegan, IL
- Economics programs in Waukegan, IL
- Financial Technology programs in Waukegan, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Waukegan, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Waukegan, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Waukegan, IL
- International Business programs in Waukegan, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Waukegan, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Waukegan, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Waukegan, IL
- Operations Management programs in Waukegan, IL
- Public Administration programs in Waukegan, IL
- Real Estate programs in Waukegan, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Waukegan, IL
- Retail Management programs in Waukegan, IL
- Risk Management programs in Waukegan, IL
- Statistics programs in Waukegan, IL
- Taxation programs in Waukegan, IL
- Corrections programs in Waukegan, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Waukegan, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Waukegan, IL
- Criminology programs in Waukegan, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Waukegan, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Waukegan, IL
- Fire Science programs in Waukegan, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Waukegan, IL
- Legal Services programs in Waukegan, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Waukegan, IL
- Paralegal programs in Waukegan, IL
- Security Management programs in Waukegan, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Waukegan, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Waukegan, IL
- Innovation programs in Waukegan, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Waukegan, IL
- Software Development programs in Waukegan, IL
- User Experience programs in Waukegan, IL
- Web Development programs in Waukegan, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Waukegan, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Waukegan, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Waukegan, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Waukegan, IL
- Public Health programs in Waukegan, IL
- Human Resources programs in Waukegan, IL
- Project Management programs in Waukegan, IL
- Special Education programs in Waukegan, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Waukegan, IL
- Marketing programs in Waukegan, IL
- Finance programs in Waukegan, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Waukegan, IL
- Sports Management programs in Waukegan, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Waukegan, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Waukegan, IL
- Biology programs in Waukegan, IL
- Communications programs in Waukegan, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Waukegan, IL
- Human Services programs in Waukegan, IL
- MBA programs in Waukegan, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Waukegan, IL
- Nursing programs in Waukegan, IL
- Business Administration programs in Waukegan, IL
- Computer Science programs in Waukegan, IL
- Psychology programs in Waukegan, IL
- Education programs in Waukegan, IL
- Engineering programs in Waukegan, IL
- Technology programs in Waukegan, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Waukegan, IL
- Healthcare programs in Waukegan, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Waukegan, IL
- Accounting programs in Waukegan, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Waukegan, IL
- Social Work programs in Waukegan, IL
- Counseling programs in Waukegan, 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)
