Best Photography Schools Near Owensboro, KY (2026)

Owensboro, Kentucky has 1 accredited school offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $4,808 to $14,457 per year for indexed programs. Owensboro has a population of about 60,112. Median household income is $53,295 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Kentucky, the top-earning photography-related role is Photographer at a median $47,170 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Photography Schools to Owensboro

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

Murray State University

Murray, KY 103.2 miles from Owensboro
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
58.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,737
Avg net price $9,096/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Photography Wages Near Owensboro

Owensboro is part of the Owensboro, KY metro area (BLS area code 36980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kentucky statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Photographer$47,170KY statewide$53,239
Graphic Designer$44,950Owensboro, KY$50,734

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.


Owensboro at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population60,112Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$53,295Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)88.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Owensboro-Area Cities With Photography Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Owensboro, KY?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering photography programs near Owensboro. The closest is Jefferson Community and Technical College in Louisville, KY (81.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Jefferson Community and Technical College (81.6 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Owensboro?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Owensboro are: Photographer ($47,170), Graphic Designer ($44,950). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kentucky statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Henderson instead of Owensboro?

Henderson, KY is 25.8 miles from Owensboro 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 Owensboro an affordable place to study photography?

Owensboro’s median household income of $53,295 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Owensboro while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kentucky 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 Owensboro

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

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.