Best Photography Schools Near Kingsport, TN (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Kingsport, Tennessee has 4 accredited schools offering photography programs, with tuition ranging from $34,700 to $50,099 per year for indexed programs. Kingsport has a population of about 55,807. Median household income is $50,436 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Tennessee, the top-earning photography-related role is Film and Video Editor at a median $57,880 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Photography Schools to Kingsport

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography programs near Kingsport, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Kingsport 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 Kingsport. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Carson-Newman University

Jefferson City, TN 59.5 miles from Kingsport
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
48.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 90%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,382
Avg net price $20,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,700
Out‑of‑state$34,700
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Pellissippi State Community College

Knoxville, TN 98.7 miles from Kingsport
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,440
Avg net price $4,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN 173.5 miles from Kingsport
  • 4 year
45.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,723
Avg net price $24,345/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN 217.8 miles from Kingsport
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,541
Avg net price $13,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 106

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Nashville State Community College

Nashville, TN 241.5 miles from Kingsport
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
39.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,519
Avg net price $6,777/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, TN 348.7 miles from Kingsport
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,485
Avg net price $21,574/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Photography Wages Near Kingsport

Kingsport is part of the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area (BLS area code 28700). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Photographer $37,950 TN statewide $43,924
Graphic Designer $49,570 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $57,373
Film and Video Editor $57,880 TN statewide $66,991
Camera Operator $57,030 TN statewide $66,007

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.

Kingsport at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 55,807 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $50,436 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 31.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 86.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Kingsport-Area Cities With Photography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Kingsport, TN?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering photography programs near Kingsport. The closest is Mars Hill University in Mars Hill, NC (48.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pellissippi State Community College (98.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Kingsport?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Kingsport are: Film and Video Editor ($57,880), Camera Operator ($57,030), Graphic Designer ($49,570). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Johnson City instead of Kingsport?

Johnson City, TN is 15.5 miles from Kingsport 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 Kingsport an affordable place to study photography?

Kingsport’s median household income of $50,436 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kingsport while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee 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 Kingsport

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

Data verified: September 6, 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 Tennessee: Online Programs (2026)