Best Photography Schools Near Northampton, MA (2026)

Updated August 25, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Northampton, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs. Northampton has a population of about 28,640. Median household income is $78,467 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 61.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. 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 Northampton

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Northampton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Northampton 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 Northampton. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Bard College at Simon's Rock

Great Barrington, MA 37.0 miles from Northampton
  • 4 year
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,543
Avg net price $31,625/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, MA 48.6 miles from Northampton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
57.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,874
Avg net price $14,262/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Lesley University

Cambridge, MA 79.6 miles from Northampton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
46.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,173
Avg net price $31,152/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Boston, MA 80.5 miles from Northampton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
56.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,582
Avg net price $24,100/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Northeastern University

Boston, MA 81.0 miles from Northampton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
80.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
Avg net price $30,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Salem State University

Salem, MA 91.8 miles from Northampton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
62.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,662
Avg net price $15,996/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Endicott College

Beverly, MA 94.8 miles from Northampton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
63.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,336
Avg net price $40,654/yr
Tuition
In‑state$40,650
Out‑of‑state$40,650
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, MA 99.6 miles from Northampton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
56.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,804
Avg net price $20,927/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Photography Wages Near Northampton

Northampton 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Photographer$57,990MA statewide$57,874
Graphic Designer$65,510Amherst 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.

Northampton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population28,640Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$78,467Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+61.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)100.2 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Northampton-Area Cities With Photography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Northampton, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Northampton. The closest is Springfield Technical Community College in Springfield, MA (15.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Mount Wachusett Community College (39.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Northampton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Northampton 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 Holyoke instead of Northampton?

Holyoke, MA is 8.1 miles from Northampton 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 Northampton an affordable place to study photography?

Northampton’s median household income of $78,467 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Northampton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 Northampton

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

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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