Best Photography Schools Near Saint Paul, MN (2026)

Saint Paul, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $6,679 to $18,552 per year for indexed programs. Saint Paul has a population of about 307,762. Median household income is $73,055 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $65,610 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Photography Schools to Saint Paul

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

Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Minneapolis, MN 8.4 miles from Saint Paul
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
44.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,873
Avg net price $29,926/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Dakota County Technical College

Rosemount, MN 14.6 miles from Saint Paul
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
72.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,938
Avg net price $13,548/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,679
Out‑of‑state$6,679
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

South Central College

North Mankato, MN 70.8 miles from Saint Paul
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
60.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,068
Avg net price $9,082/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Photography Wages Near Saint Paul

Saint Paul is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (BLS area code 33460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Minnesota statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Photographer$46,960Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$44,809
Graphic Designer$65,610Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$62,605

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.


Saint Paul at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population307,762Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$73,055Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+43.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)104.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Saint Paul-Area Cities With Photography Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Saint Paul, MN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Saint Paul. The closest is Century College in White Bear Lake, MN (8.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is South Central College (70.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Saint Paul?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Saint Paul are: Graphic Designer ($65,610), Photographer ($46,960). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Minnesota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Maplewood instead of Saint Paul?

Maplewood, MN is 4.6 miles from Saint Paul 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 Saint Paul an affordable place to study photography?

Saint Paul’s median household income of $73,055 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Saint Paul while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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 Saint Paul

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

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.