Best Photography Schools Near Chesterfield, MO (2026)

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

Chesterfield, Missouri has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $4,340 to $9,592 per year for indexed programs. Chesterfield has a population of about 49,591. Median household income is $133,380 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 72.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $61,000 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Photography Schools to Chesterfield

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

Maryville University of Saint Louis

Saint Louis, MO 4.2 miles from Chesterfield
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
64.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,105
Avg net price $22,066/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, MO 9.8 miles from Chesterfield
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
50.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,278
Avg net price $19,638/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Webster University

Saint Louis, MO 13.6 miles from Chesterfield
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
42.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,876
Avg net price $27,047/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Washington University in St Louis

St. Louis, MO 15.0 miles from Chesterfield
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
85.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,182
Avg net price $21,786/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, MO 170.5 miles from Chesterfield
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
54.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 64%
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,560
Avg net price $14,462/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,050
Out‑of‑state$18,600
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Kansas City Art Institute

Kansas City, MO 217.1 miles from Chesterfield
  • 4 year
30.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,032
Avg net price $27,650/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Missouri Southern State University

Joplin, MO 236.6 miles from Chesterfield
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
42.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,620
Avg net price $12,007/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Crowder College

Neosho, MO 243.0 miles from Chesterfield
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
52.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,987
Avg net price $9,023/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Photography Wages Near Chesterfield

Chesterfield is part of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area (BLS area code 41180). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Photographer$39,170St. Louis, MO-IL$41,188
Graphic Designer$61,000St. Louis, MO-IL$64,143

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.

Chesterfield at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population49,591Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$133,380Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+72.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Chesterfield-Area Cities With Photography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Chesterfield, MO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Chesterfield. The closest is Maryville University of Saint Louis in Saint Louis, MO (4.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lewis and Clark Community College (29.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Chesterfield?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Chesterfield are: Graphic Designer ($61,000), Photographer ($39,170). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Missouri statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Ballwin instead of Chesterfield?

Ballwin, MO is 4.7 miles from Chesterfield 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 Chesterfield an affordable place to study photography?

Chesterfield’s median household income of $133,380 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chesterfield while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Missouri 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 Chesterfield

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

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.

Back to Best Photography Schools in Missouri: Online Programs (2026)