Best Photography Schools Near Altoona, PA (2026)

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

Altoona, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $5,910 to $41,790 per year for indexed programs. Altoona has a population of about 43,508. Median household income is $50,171 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Altoona, PA metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $50,530 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Photography Schools to Altoona

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

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA 35.1 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
62.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 61%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $32,875/yr
Tuition
In‑state$20,644
Out‑of‑state$41,790
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Point Park University

Pittsburgh, PA 84.3 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
41.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,856
Avg net price $25,942/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, PA 94.0 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,032
Avg net price $19,608/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

Lancaster, PA 114.9 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
40.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,301
Avg net price $30,083/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Marywood University

Scranton, PA 157.7 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,817
Avg net price $23,388/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Arcadia University

Glenside, PA 172.9 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
56.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,336
Avg net price $29,466/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA 173.5 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
71.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,648
Avg net price $38,509/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Moore College of Art and Design

Philadelphia, PA 174.5 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
31.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,839
Avg net price $43,086/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Photography Wages Near Altoona

Altoona is part of the Altoona, PA metro area (BLS area code 11020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Photographer$40,520PA statewide$45,274
Graphic Designer$50,530Altoona, PA$56,458

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.

Altoona at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population43,508Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$50,171Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+19.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)89.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Altoona-Area Cities With Photography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Altoona, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Altoona. The closest is Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus in University Park, PA (35.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Butler County Community College (82.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Altoona?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Altoona are: Graphic Designer ($50,530), Photographer ($40,520). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Johnstown instead of Altoona?

Johnstown, PA is 30.0 miles from Altoona 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 Altoona an affordable place to study photography?

Altoona’s median household income of $50,171 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Altoona while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Altoona

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

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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