Best Photography Schools Near Norristown, PA (2026)

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

Norristown, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $6,930 to $15,540 per year for indexed programs. Norristown has a population of about 35,782. Median household income is $65,058 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $63,090 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Photography Schools to Norristown

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

Arcadia University

Glenside, PA 9.5 miles from Norristown
  • 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

#2

Temple University

Philadelphia, PA 13.7 miles from Norristown
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
68.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,727
Avg net price $28,198/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA 13.9 miles from Norristown
  • 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

#4

Moore College of Art and Design

Philadelphia, PA 14.5 miles from Norristown
  • 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

#5

Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

Lancaster, PA 51.5 miles from Norristown
  • 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

#6

Marywood University

Scranton, PA 91.9 miles from Norristown
  • 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

#7

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA 140.4 miles from Norristown
  • 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

#8

Point Park University

Pittsburgh, PA 246.7 miles from Norristown
  • 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

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

Photography Wages Near Norristown

Norristown is part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (BLS area code 37980). 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$43,750Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$42,641
Graphic Designer$63,090Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$61,491

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.

Norristown at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population35,782Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$65,058Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+23.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)102.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Norristown-Area Cities With Photography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Norristown, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Norristown. The closest is Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, PA (7.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Drexel University (13.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Norristown?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Norristown are: Graphic Designer ($63,090), Photographer ($43,750). 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 Philadelphia instead of Norristown?

Philadelphia, PA is 13.5 miles from Norristown 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 Norristown an affordable place to study photography?

Norristown’s median household income of $65,058 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Norristown 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 Norristown

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

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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