Traverse City, Michigan has 1 accredited school offering photography programs. Traverse City has a population of about 15,491. Median household income is $71,731 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 47.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Traverse City, MI metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $49,940 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Photography Schools to Traverse City
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Traverse City, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Traverse 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 Traverse City.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,735
Avg net price
$8,624/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 64
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$35,499
Avg net price
$7,280/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$38,377
Avg net price
$8,621/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
90%
Graduation rate
64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,584
Avg net price
$16,626/yr
TuitionIn‑state$40,218
Out‑of‑state$40,218
Key stats- Retention rate: 76%
- Programs offered: 9
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,118
Avg net price
$16,317/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 76%
- Programs offered: 27
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$39,206
Avg net price
$5,437/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$32,538
Avg net price
$5,687/yr
TuitionIn‑state$6,845
Out‑of‑state$11,460
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,612
Avg net price
$9,120/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 29
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Michigan schools on the Michigan photography page.
Photography Wages Near Traverse City
Traverse City is part of the Traverse City, MI metro area (BLS area code 45900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Photographer | N/A | MI statewide | – |
| Graphic Designer | $49,940 | Traverse City, MI | $53,469 |
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.
Traverse City at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 15,491 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $71,731 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 47.0% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 93.4 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Traverse City-Area Cities With Photography Programs
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited photography schools are near Traverse City, MI?
Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering photography programs near Traverse City. The closest is Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI (74.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Ferris State University (74.3 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying photography roles near Traverse City?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Traverse City are: Graphic Designer ($49,940). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Mount Pleasant instead of Traverse City?
Mount Pleasant, MI is 89.9 miles from Traverse 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 Traverse City an affordable place to study photography?
Traverse City’s median household income of $71,731 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Traverse City while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Traverse City
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Traverse City:
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- Business Development programs in Traverse City, MI
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- Forensic Accounting programs in Traverse City, MI
- Health Information Management programs in Traverse City, MI
- Hospitality Management programs in Traverse City, MI
- International Business programs in Traverse City, MI
- Organizational Leadership programs in Traverse City, MI
- Management Information Systems programs in Traverse City, MI
- Nonprofit Management programs in Traverse City, MI
- Operations Management programs in Traverse City, MI
- Public Administration programs in Traverse City, MI
- Real Estate programs in Traverse City, MI
- Recreation Management programs in Traverse City, MI
- Retail Management programs in Traverse City, MI
- Risk Management programs in Traverse City, MI
- Statistics programs in Traverse City, MI
- Taxation programs in Traverse City, MI
- Corrections programs in Traverse City, MI
- Crime Analysis programs in Traverse City, MI
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Traverse City, MI
- Criminology programs in Traverse City, MI
- Cybercrime programs in Traverse City, MI
- Emergency Management programs in Traverse City, MI
- Fire Science programs in Traverse City, MI
- Forensic Science programs in Traverse City, MI
- Legal Services programs in Traverse City, MI
- Legal Studies programs in Traverse City, MI
- Paralegal programs in Traverse City, MI
- Security Management programs in Traverse City, MI
- Cloud Computing programs in Traverse City, MI
- Computer Engineering programs in Traverse City, MI
- Innovation programs in Traverse City, MI
- Mobile App Development programs in Traverse City, MI
- Software Development programs in Traverse City, MI
- User Experience programs in Traverse City, MI
- Web Development programs in Traverse City, MI
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Traverse City, MI
- Machine Learning programs in Traverse City, MI
- Supply Chain Management programs in Traverse City, MI
- Data Analytics programs in Traverse City, MI
- Public Health programs in Traverse City, MI
- Human Resources programs in Traverse City, MI
- Project Management programs in Traverse City, MI
- Special Education programs in Traverse City, MI
- Homeland Security programs in Traverse City, MI
- Marketing programs in Traverse City, MI
- Finance programs in Traverse City, MI
- Kinesiology programs in Traverse City, MI
- Sports Management programs in Traverse City, MI
- Early Childhood Education programs in Traverse City, MI
- Elementary Education programs in Traverse City, MI
- Biology programs in Traverse City, MI
- Communications programs in Traverse City, MI
- Graphic Design programs in Traverse City, MI
- Human Services programs in Traverse City, MI
- MBA programs in Traverse City, MI
- Criminal Justice programs in Traverse City, MI
- Nursing programs in Traverse City, MI
- Business Administration programs in Traverse City, MI
- Computer Science programs in Traverse City, MI
- Psychology programs in Traverse City, MI
- Education programs in Traverse City, MI
- Engineering programs in Traverse City, MI
- Technology programs in Traverse City, MI
- Liberal Arts programs in Traverse City, MI
- Healthcare programs in Traverse City, MI
- Cybersecurity programs in Traverse City, MI
- Accounting programs in Traverse City, MI
- Healthcare Administration programs in Traverse City, MI
- Social Work programs in Traverse City, MI
- Counseling programs in Traverse City, MI
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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