Best Photography Schools Near Manhattan, NY (2026)

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

Manhattan, New York has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $41,870 to $65,767 per year for indexed programs. Manhattan has a population of about 1,643,734. In the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $79,280 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Photography Schools to Manhattan

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

Marymount Manhattan College

New York, NY 1.1 miles from Manhattan
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
27.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 83%
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,131
Avg net price $36,861/yr
Tuition
In‑state$41,870
Out‑of‑state$41,870
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY 2.9 miles from Manhattan
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
81.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,696
Avg net price $19,095/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

School of Visual Arts

New York, NY 3.2 miles from Manhattan
  • 4 year
44.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,459
Avg net price $57,914/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

New York University

New York, NY 4.1 miles from Manhattan
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
76.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,509
Avg net price $37,050/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

The New School

New York, NY 5.3 miles from Manhattan
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
54.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,901
Avg net price $58,741/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Pratt Institute-Main

Brooklyn, NY 6.4 miles from Manhattan
  • 4 year
50.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,295
Avg net price $52,659/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

CUNY Queens College

Queens, NY 8.3 miles from Manhattan
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
69.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,763
Avg net price $4,195/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

St. John's University-New York

Queens, NY 9.8 miles from Manhattan
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
65.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,571
Avg net price $29,999/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Photography Wages Near Manhattan

Manhattan is part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (BLS area code 35620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Photographer$60,050New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$53,330
Graphic Designer$79,280New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$70,409

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.

Manhattan at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)112.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Manhattan-Area Cities With Photography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Manhattan, NY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Manhattan. The closest is Marymount Manhattan College in New York, NY (1.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is New York University (4.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Manhattan?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Manhattan are: Graphic Designer ($79,280), Photographer ($60,050). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in West New York instead of Manhattan?

West New York, NJ is 2.3 miles from Manhattan 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

Other Programs Available in Manhattan

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

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 New York: Online Programs (2026)