“Photography is an art of observation. It has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” - Elliott Erwitt
Photography is an art form and art is viewed differently from person to person. Every artist is even going to view their own work differently than how others will see it.
The top 10 photography colleges are:
- University of Southern California
- New York University
- California Institute of the Arts
- University of Pennsylvania
- Columbia College Hollywood
- University of California-Los Angeles
- University of North Carolina School of the Arts
- Loyola Marymount University
- Rhode Island School of Design
- Wesleyan University
Just like with any college you attend it’s about finding the right fit for you. It does not always mean finding the best college for a specific major and going there. Even if you would attend the best college for that major you may not end up liking the class sizes or the way the campus feels. It is about finding the school that makes you the most comfortable. You can still get a good educational experience at any college even without going to the best college for that major.
People are going to have different opinions as to what makes one college better than another. This is perfectly okay because what might make one college amazing to one person may make it a bad option for someone else. Some colleges might just have a unique way of going about how they teach each major.
At the end of the day it is all about finding the right college for you. This means finding the place where you will be the most comfortable, with the right class sizes you want and in the location you want. Some people choose to stay in the state where they currently reside to attend schooling, while other people leave that state and go to and out of state school. Keep in mind the prices of tuition tend to be higher for out of state residents of school.
Why Major in Photography?
Getting a degree in Photography will offer you not just personal advantages but also professional advantages. There are five valuable reasons to major in Photography which are:
- Creative Expression
- Professional Portfolios
- Visual Intelligence and Skill
- Business Understanding
- Networking Opportunities
These will help you grow your knowledge of photography so you can be the best you can be. There are lots of career paths for someone with a photography degree. Also you can use image editor tools to edit photos and create stunning designs right in your browser, on your phone or desktop. Now, not all photography programs will be created equal but no matter where you get a photography degree, it can still open you up to multiple career paths. Keep in mind that photography is a creative medium so only pursue this major if you believe you will be able to handle all of the work that goes into getting a photography degree.
Let’s take a closer look into the top 3 schools for photography and see what makes each one unique.
University of Southern California
At the University of Southern California (USC) they have a school of art called the Roski School of Art and Design. Under this school houses the photography major for USC.
At USC the photography major gives students technical and conceptual background which is necessary for building captivating photographic exercises. They do this by using experimentation, thoughtful making, and critique. They also do scholarly research on the theoretical, critical, and historical communication which surrounds the field of photography.
The USC photography professors encourage the students to create a unique collection of interests which will offer them self-direction, self-motivated research, and art production. The professors also teach not only digital techniques but also film techniques. They also provide students with the knowledge of the cross disciplinary moves between photography, digital media, performance, and installation.
When the students have studio courses, they use digital black and white darkrooms, scanning, lighting techniques, software, and a variety of camera formats which include:
- 35mm
- DSLR
- Medium format
- 4 x 5 film cameras
- Darkroom
- Digital printing
The University of Southern California photography program annually presents at the Handtmann Photographic Lecture Series.
New York University
At New York University (NYU) their photography program is housed under the Tisch School of the Arts. The photography program is called The Department of Photography and Imaging (DPI).
If you attend the photography program at NYU, you will learn how to see, think, and take risks all while finding your own creative voice. This DPI program not only offers students the intense focus of an arts curriculum, but also includes the demand of a liberal arts curriculum. They embrace multiple perspectives as well as approaches which help the students gain critical engagement not only in the classroom but also outside of the classroom. Students will explore the personal and cultural expression of photo-imagery while working with a variety of modes including:
- Analog
- Digital photo-based image making
- Multimedia
- New media
- Immersive
- Post-photographic 3D simulation technologies
The students will also work closely with faculty advisors that tailors each students’ program of study to suit their passions and challenges them to increase their conceptual and technical boundaries.
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) photography program is Photography and Media. This is because this whole school is about the arts, unlike the other two which are colleges that have separate schools within them that house their arts programs.
At CalArts the Photography and Media program is for students that are dedicated image-makers and artists that are interested in
- Developing their work
- Engaging in critical conversations that have a relation to how images can shape contemporary culture
- Building the technical and formal skills to expand their possibilities of lens-based work
Careers You Can Have With a Photography Degree
The first thing you will want to do is obviously attending some college and majoring in Photography and getting the degree. It does not have to be one of the top schools for Photography.
Your next steps can take you anywhere, but if you want to know some careers you can do with a photography degree, look no further. Here are some photography careers:
- Wedding photographer
- Commercial photographer
- Portrait photographer
- Travel photographer
- Stock photographer
- Photojournalist
- Sports photographer
- Wildlife photographer
- Fashion photographer
These careers can help guide you to finding the right career path for you based on your photography degree.
Enroll in the Education Program You Want
It can sometimes be difficult and/or tricky to enroll in the education program you want, however that is okay. Since there are lots of ways to boost your chances of enrolling in the education program you want. Some of the ways you can boost your chances include–selecting the correct program, earning good grades in certain classes, showing interest, having recommendation letters, checking your online reputation, and staying motivated. These are just a few of the ways you can help your chances of getting into the education program you want. Make sure to do any necessary research into the education program you want to join, that way you know all of the information they will be looking for.
When you check your online reputation, you will want to make sure that there is nothing online about you that could reflect negatively on you. You want to make sure that the image of you online is something that you would be okay with your college friends viewing. Also make sure that you have an appropriate email address and set your social media accounts to private. Making sure your online presence positively reflects you is so important because if it does not, then it can impact your life chances at being enrolled in the education program you want.
It is so important to stay motivated when you are enrolling in any kind of education program. This is because it requires a lot of paperwork and documents to get together in order to enroll. Since you will have to collect a bunch of papers and documents this process can be time-consuming. You need to make sure that this does not discourage you from still applying to the education program you want.
Conclusion
These are the top 10 colleges in the U.S. with photography programs. If you want to attend one of the best photography colleges, apply to these schools. Keep in mind that other colleges still offer good photography programs. It is all about the right college to meet your needs. This can look different from person to person and that is okay. You do not even have to attend college to be a photography professional, but if you want a chance to improve your knowledge and skills with other professionals then college is your best bet.
Photography is just like any other type of art form in which people will view it in their own way. This art form allows you to tell a story using imagery by capturing a moment in time. Photos can be super sentimental since they are a snapshot of a moment that will never happen again.
If you have a hobby of photography and have some skills already, then attend college to make this hobby your career and live your dream. This is because you can turn something you are passionate about into a job.
