Amherst, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs. Amherst has a population of about 40,989. In the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $65,510 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Photography Schools to Amherst
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Amherst, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Amherst 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 Amherst.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,874
Avg net price
$14,262/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 23
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$46,543
Avg net price
$31,625/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 3
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,173
Avg net price
$31,152/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 8
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,582
Avg net price
$24,100/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 7
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$92,538
Avg net price
$30,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 27
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,662
Avg net price
$15,996/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 14
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
71%
Graduation rate
76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,336
Avg net price
$40,654/yr
TuitionIn‑state$40,650
Out‑of‑state$40,650
Key stats- Retention rate: 86%
- Programs offered: 14
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,804
Avg net price
$20,927/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 64%
- Programs offered: 16
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Massachusetts schools on the Massachusetts photography page.
Photography Wages Near Amherst
Amherst is part of the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area (BLS area code 11200). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Photographer | $57,990 | MA statewide | $57,874 |
| Graphic Designer | $65,510 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $65,379 |
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.
Amherst at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 100.2 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Amherst-Area Cities With Photography Programs
- Northampton, MA – 9.0 mi away (28,483 pop)
- Holyoke, MA – 12.5 mi away (40,280 pop)
- Chicopee, MA – 13.4 mi away (55,991 pop)
- Springfield, MA – 17.3 mi away (625,300 pop)
- Westfield, MA – 20.2 mi away (41,552 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited photography schools are near Amherst, MA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Amherst. The closest is Springfield Technical Community College in Springfield, MA (17.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Connecticut State Community College (42.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying photography roles near Amherst?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Amherst are: Graphic Designer ($65,510), Photographer ($57,990). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Northampton instead of Amherst?
Northampton, MA is 9.0 miles from Amherst 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.
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
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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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