Best Photography Schools Near Williamsburg, VA (2026)

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

Williamsburg, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs. Williamsburg has a population of about 15,564. Median household income is $70,206 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area, the top-earning photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $60,150 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Photography Schools to Williamsburg

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

Virginia Peninsula Community College

Hampton, VA 21.3 miles from Williamsburg
  • 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

#2

Tidewater Community College

Norfolk, VA 37.0 miles from Williamsburg
  • 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

#3

Brightpoint Community College

Chester, VA 38.9 miles from Williamsburg
  • 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

#4

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 45.3 miles from Williamsburg
  • 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

#5

Northern Virginia Community College

Annandale, VA 112.1 miles from Williamsburg
  • 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

#6

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, VA 144.7 miles from Williamsburg
  • 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

#7

Danville Community College

Danville, VA 157.0 miles from Williamsburg
  • 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 Williamsburg

Williamsburg is part of the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area (BLS area code 47260). 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$42,210Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$43,115
Graphic Designer$60,150Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$61,440

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.

Williamsburg at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population15,564Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$70,206Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+48.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Williamsburg-Area Cities With Photography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Williamsburg, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering photography programs near Williamsburg. The closest is Virginia Peninsula Community College in Hampton, VA (21.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is College of Southern Maryland (90.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Williamsburg?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Williamsburg are: Graphic Designer ($60,150), Photographer ($42,210). 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 Newport News instead of Williamsburg?

Newport News, VA is 15.4 miles from Williamsburg 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 Williamsburg an affordable place to study photography?

Williamsburg’s median household income of $70,206 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Williamsburg 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 Williamsburg

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

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)