Photography major
Photography: courses, careers, and where to study
Photography combines technical camera and lighting craft with visual storytelling and post-production, suited to students who want to build a portfolio across editorial, commercial, or fine-art work.
A Photography major, usually offered as a BFA or BA, covers camera operation and exposure, studio and location lighting, color management, digital post-production, and the history and theory of the photographic image. Coursework moves from black-and-white and digital fundamentals into specialized areas such as portrait, commercial/product, documentary, photojournalism, and fine-art photography, and most programs require a sustained portfolio or thesis body of work plus a critique-based studio sequence.
Graduates build a portfolio and typically work as freelancers or in studios, agencies, publications, and in-house creative teams, shooting, editing, retouching, and managing client and licensing relationships. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of photographers is projected to grow 1.8% from 2024 to 2034. A college degree is not a strict requirement to enter the field, though a degree program is the common path for building craft and a body of work; advancement into teaching photography at the college level generally requires a graduate degree (often an MFA).
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Photography maps to CIP 50.0605, Photography, within the VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS family. The official definition:
A program that focuses on the principles and techniques of communicating information, ideas, moods, and feelings through the creation of images on photographic film, plates, and digital images and that may prepare individuals to be professional photographic artists. Includes instruction in camera and equipment operation and maintenance, film and plate developing, light and composition, films and printing media, color and special effects, photographic art, photographic history, use of computer applications to record or enhance images and applications to the photography of various subjects.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Photography is awarded as
Of the 1,912 Photography credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate12%236
- Associate19%372
- Bachelor's59%1,120
- Graduate10%184
CampusPin does not have enough states reporting this field to say whether the mix changes from state to state. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Camera operation, exposure, and lens selection (aperture, shutter, ISO)
- Studio and location lighting setups and modifiers
- Color management, RAW workflow, and digital post-production (Lightroom, Photoshop)
- Black-and-white, darkroom, and alternative process fundamentals
- Specialization tracks such as portrait, commercial/product, documentary, or photojournalism
- History and theory of photography and visual analysis
- Image editing, retouching, sequencing, and print/output preparation
- Portfolio development, critique, and a senior thesis body of work
Typical careers
- Photographers
- Photojournalist
- Commercial / Product Photographer
- Portrait / Wedding Photographer
- Photo Editor / Retoucher
- Studio / Camera Assistant
Typical salary range: BLS reports a 2024 median annual wage of $42,520 for photographers; informational, not a CampusPin estimate.Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Photography, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photographers | $42,520 | 12,700 | +1.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | $80,190 | 9,000 | +1.7% | Master's degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 2 of these 2 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Photography does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Photography major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Photography program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Photography department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Photography program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Photography credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- Southern New Hampshire UniversityNH · 269
- School of Visual ArtsNY · 102
- Savannah College of Art and DesignGA · 99
- The New SchoolNY · 76
- Rochester Institute of TechnologyNY · 67
- Columbia College ChicagoIL · 65
- Academy of Art UniversityCA · 54
- New York UniversityNY · 51
- Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVA · 44
- Columbus State Community CollegeOH · 33
- Pratt Institute-MainNY · 26
- Cabrillo CollegeCA · 25
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Photography credentials were awarded
9 states have a distinct enough set of Photography colleges to be worth its own page.
Related majors
Graphic Design
Graphic Design teaches students to communicate ideas visually through typography, layout, and imagery, suiting people who want to combine creativity with craft across print and digital media.
Film Production
Film Production teaches the craft of making moving images, from screenwriting and directing to cinematography, editing, and sound, for students who want hands-on, collaborative creative work.
Journalism
Journalism teaches students to report, write, and verify news across print, broadcast, and digital media, suiting people drawn to research, storytelling, and the public interest.
Fashion Design
Fashion Design teaches the craft of conceiving and constructing apparel and accessories, suited to students who pair visual creativity with hands-on technical and production skills.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Photography degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Education & Library careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Arts, Design & Media careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Photography degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Photography path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.