Mason City, Iowa has 4 accredited schools offering photography programs. Mason City has a population of about 27,135. Median household income is $62,369 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Iowa, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $50,310 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Photography Schools to Mason City
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Mason City, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Mason City 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 Mason City.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,494
Avg net price
$31,320/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 8
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Iowa schools on the Iowa photography page.
Photography Wages Near Mason City
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (Iowa, statewide) |
|---|
| Photographer | $38,290 |
| Graphic Designer | $50,310 |
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.
Mason City at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 27,135 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $62,369 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 21.3% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
Other Mason City-Area Cities With Photography Programs
- Austin, MN – 37.9 mi away (25,105 pop)
- Cedar Falls, IA – 57.6 mi away (41,390 pop)
- Waterloo, IA – 62.5 mi away (112,635 pop)
- Owatonna, MN – 65.2 mi away (25,567 pop)
- Fort Dodge, IA – 66.3 mi away (24,359 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited photography schools are near Mason City, IA?
Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering photography programs near Mason City. The closest is Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, IA (66.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is South Central College (82.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying photography roles in Iowa?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles in Iowa are: Graphic Designer ($50,310), Photographer ($38,290). Wages for Mason City workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Austin instead of Mason City?
Austin, MN is 37.9 miles from Mason City 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 Mason City an affordable place to study photography?
Mason City’s median household income of $62,369 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Mason City while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa 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 Mason City
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Mason City:
- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Mason City, IA
- Medical Assistant programs in Mason City, IA
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Mason City, IA
- Health Science programs in Mason City, IA
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Mason City, IA
- Entrepreneurship programs in Mason City, IA
- Interior Design programs in Mason City, IA
- Sustainability Management programs in Mason City, IA
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Mason City, IA
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Mason City, IA
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Mason City, IA
- Journalism programs in Mason City, IA
- Public Relations programs in Mason City, IA
- Communication Disorders programs in Mason City, IA
- Speech Pathology programs in Mason City, IA
- Technical Communication programs in Mason City, IA
- Professional Writing programs in Mason City, IA
- Strategic Communications programs in Mason City, IA
- Business Development programs in Mason City, IA
- Construction Management programs in Mason City, IA
- Economics programs in Mason City, IA
- Financial Technology programs in Mason City, IA
- Forensic Accounting programs in Mason City, IA
- Health Information Management programs in Mason City, IA
- Hospitality Management programs in Mason City, IA
- International Business programs in Mason City, IA
- Organizational Leadership programs in Mason City, IA
- Management Information Systems programs in Mason City, IA
- Nonprofit Management programs in Mason City, IA
- Operations Management programs in Mason City, IA
- Public Administration programs in Mason City, IA
- Real Estate programs in Mason City, IA
- Recreation Management programs in Mason City, IA
- Retail Management programs in Mason City, IA
- Risk Management programs in Mason City, IA
- Statistics programs in Mason City, IA
- Taxation programs in Mason City, IA
- Corrections programs in Mason City, IA
- Crime Analysis programs in Mason City, IA
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Mason City, IA
- Criminology programs in Mason City, IA
- Cybercrime programs in Mason City, IA
- Emergency Management programs in Mason City, IA
- Fire Science programs in Mason City, IA
- Forensic Science programs in Mason City, IA
- Legal Services programs in Mason City, IA
- Legal Studies programs in Mason City, IA
- Paralegal programs in Mason City, IA
- Security Management programs in Mason City, IA
- Cloud Computing programs in Mason City, IA
- Computer Engineering programs in Mason City, IA
- Innovation programs in Mason City, IA
- Mobile App Development programs in Mason City, IA
- Software Development programs in Mason City, IA
- User Experience programs in Mason City, IA
- Web Development programs in Mason City, IA
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Mason City, IA
- Machine Learning programs in Mason City, IA
- Supply Chain Management programs in Mason City, IA
- Data Analytics programs in Mason City, IA
- Public Health programs in Mason City, IA
- Human Resources programs in Mason City, IA
- Project Management programs in Mason City, IA
- Special Education programs in Mason City, IA
- Homeland Security programs in Mason City, IA
- Marketing programs in Mason City, IA
- Finance programs in Mason City, IA
- Kinesiology programs in Mason City, IA
- Sports Management programs in Mason City, IA
- Early Childhood Education programs in Mason City, IA
- Elementary Education programs in Mason City, IA
- Biology programs in Mason City, IA
- Communications programs in Mason City, IA
- Graphic Design programs in Mason City, IA
- Human Services programs in Mason City, IA
- MBA programs in Mason City, IA
- Criminal Justice programs in Mason City, IA
- Nursing programs in Mason City, IA
- Business Administration programs in Mason City, IA
- Computer Science programs in Mason City, IA
- Psychology programs in Mason City, IA
- Education programs in Mason City, IA
- Engineering programs in Mason City, IA
- Technology programs in Mason City, IA
- Liberal Arts programs in Mason City, IA
- Healthcare programs in Mason City, IA
- Cybersecurity programs in Mason City, IA
- Accounting programs in Mason City, IA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Mason City, IA
- Social Work programs in Mason City, IA
- Counseling programs in Mason City, IA
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 Iowa: Online Programs (2026)
