Best Photography Schools Near Alexandria, VA (2026)

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

Alexandria, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs. Alexandria has a population of about 156,788. Median household income is $113,638 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 65.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $85,420 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Photography Schools to Alexandria

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

Northern Virginia Community College

Annandale, VA 8.3 miles from Alexandria
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
62.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,557
Avg net price $9,919/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 89.9 miles from Alexandria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
65.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,128
Avg net price $23,433/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, VA 99.8 miles from Alexandria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
56.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,869
Avg net price $24,588/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Brightpoint Community College

Chester, VA 103.3 miles from Alexandria
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,223
Avg net price $5,490/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Virginia Peninsula Community College

Hampton, VA 126.5 miles from Alexandria
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
39.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,996
Avg net price $7,012/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Tidewater Community College

Norfolk, VA 142.8 miles from Alexandria
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
36.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,349
Avg net price $11,762/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Danville Community College

Danville, VA 201.0 miles from Alexandria
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
46.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $31,664
Avg net price $6,669/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,992
Out‑of‑state$11,430
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 40

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

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

Photography Wages Near Alexandria

Alexandria is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Photographer$54,530Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$50,073
Graphic Designer$85,420Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$78,439

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.

Alexandria at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population156,788Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$113,638Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+65.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Alexandria-Area Cities With Photography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Alexandria, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Alexandria. The closest is George Washington University in Washington, DC (6.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Montgomery College (19.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Alexandria?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Alexandria are: Graphic Designer ($85,420), Photographer ($54,530). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Washington instead of Alexandria?

Washington, DC is 7.0 miles from Alexandria 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 Alexandria an affordable place to study photography?

Alexandria’s median household income of $113,638 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Alexandria while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Alexandria

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

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 Virginia: Online Programs (2026)