Top 11 Photography Trade Schools

A photography career is a unique one, and attending photography school may help you make a livelihood doing what you love. However, photography is a cutthroat industry where success requires a genuine commitment, talent, inventiveness, and business savvy. With the advent of apps and social media, everyone has become a photographer these days.

However, with some formal schooling, you may make yourself stand out and launch your profession in photography. Students can learn the philosophical, technical, and creative facets of photography at the photography school. Read on to find out some of the best trade schools you can choose to hone your photography skills and make a living out of this profession.

Top 11 Photography Trade Schools

If you wish to pursue photography as a career, you have plenty of options to specialize in while attending a trade school. Photography schools may provide a wide range of courses, from conventional and digital photography to photojournalism, culinary photography, and other specialized areas. Here are some of the best photography trade schools you can enroll in to begin your professional career.

1. Rocky Mountain School of Photography

Rocky Mountain School of Photography is one of the top photography schools in the world, with top-notch photo studios and classrooms. Yellowstone and Glacier national parks, as well as the rivers, lakes, mountains, infinite trails, and enticing natural light, make RMSP’s campus one of the greatest settings to learn photography. The in-person courses include practical exercises and insightful, individualized feedback. To offer the students the finest tools and chances, the school collaborates with a variety of reputed businesses.

The school has an average student-to-teacher ratio of 9:1 which helps students to have an immersive learning experience. Students can choose between Summer Intensive and Professional Intensive programs offered by the school. The Summer Intensive program is a 6-week comprehensive course that teaches you the technical and creative aspects of professional photography. It includes the basics, such as skills in camera, editing, light, and output.

The Professional Intensive program is an intensive 8-month course focused on career development. In this program, you will learn expert photography skills and creative entrepreneurship. It teaches you advanced skills, including image editing, extensive studio lighting, business, and marketing. The school also offers mentorship possibilities on an individual basis.

2. Academy of Art University

Academy of Art University is one of the biggest private, authorized institutions of art and design in the US. Your love of photography may become a career with the support of the School of Photography at the Academy of Art University. The programs offered with help you develop your technical skills using a range of tools and platforms.

The school provides you study both conventional and digital photography in a creative, practical atmosphere. The school gives students a chance to learn about, practice, and gain proficiency in a variety of areas. Moreover, it also offers a comprehensive understanding of the many different photographing methods and styles.

Students can learn commercial photography, fashion photography, fine art photography, documentary photography, photo illustration, still life photography, and visualization, along with the history of photography. In addition, the school helps students with portfolio development and portraiture. The school has partnerships with several top brands, including Williams Sonoma, Monter, GAP, and Google.

3. Otis College of Art and Design

Undergraduate and graduate degrees are available from Otis College of Art and Design in a range of media, design, and visual and applied arts. Your fundamental grasp of the concepts of art and design may be developed through certificate programs at Otis Extension. It offers a certificate program in Fine Arts that incorporates the art of photography. The program can help you turn your knowledge into employable abilities.

You will develop cutting-edge industrial skills and build a varied professional portfolio with the aid of Otis Extension certificate programs. The Otis Extension Fine Arts Certificate Programme offers an understanding of the theories, vocabulary, and techniques used in the production of fine art, including photography. Students can get comprehensive learning of various aspects.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) has recognized Otis Extension as a training provider. The Employment Development Department (EDD) finances Workforce Development, Training Adjustment Assistance (TAA), Worker’s Compensation, and other programs under WIOA.

4. Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)

To establish a professional art college with specialized programs and to offer college degree programs that were not previously offered in southeast Georgia, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) was established in 1978. Modern tools, exhibits at SCAD museums and galleries, and possibilities for sought-after internships help SCAD students get ready for a variety of photographic career choices.

Atlanta, Savannah, and online through SCADnow, SCAD offers degrees in photography. The school offers B.A., M.A., B.F.A., and M.F.A. programs in photography. These programs include a wide range of topics, including camera techniques, lighting, digital imaging and composting, business practices, digital communication, advanced digital imaging, creating professional photography portfolios, commercial photography, documentary photography, and fine art photography, among several others.

The tuition fee for programs at the school is $39,105 on average. The school has dedicated advisors who counsel students regarding tuition, fees, and financial aid options. Students can also benefit from scholarships and grants to fund their education.

5. Bennington College

Located in Bennington, Vermont, Bennington College is a non-profit, private institution. The content, organization, and sequencing of their study and practice—are created by students and faculty in close collaboration. They do this by utilizing resources both within and outside the classroom to further their studies. Students can learn about analog and digital photography prospects at Bennington. They also look at all of the many genres of the medium and how it interacts with other forms of art.

A wide range of topical subjects is covered in the courses, which explore the rich history of photography in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. The college offers several photography courses, including print and process, photography foundation, light, and lighting, history of photography, photography and the environment, reading the photograph, labless projects, reimagining representation, color photography, still + moving image, hybrids, and several more.

The goal of studio photography programs is to balance creative creation with readings, historical analysis, and practical teaching. The institution makes education accessible by offering financial assistance packages that cover more than half the cost of tuition on average. The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) has granted it accreditation.

6. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is a nationally recognized independent school of art and design. According to the National Arts Journalism study conducted by Columbia University, the institution is the most influential art college in the country. Traditional methods of picture creation and philosophically driven practices are both offered at the Department of Photography at the school.

Students study the theory and practice of photography. The course involves an introduction to photography, fashion photography, digital light projections, advanced post-production, surrealism and photography, lighting fundamentals, and several other topics. They receive instruction from eminent working artists who use a range of stylistic devices.

Through career education, all Career and Professional Experience (CAPX) programs and resources equip students and alumni for their professional lives and link them to a variety of professional prospects. The tuition cost per credit hour of the programs offered ranges from $1,785 to $1,860. The school offers various financial aid, including SAIC scholarships, grants, federal and state grants, and outside scholarships.

7. CalArts

CalArts is an art school located in Los Angeles that provides engaging possibilities for multidisciplinary and global learning. The school lets students improve and advance their chosen course of study with the support of a well-experienced faculty. BFA and MFA programs in photography help them in growing their work, have meaningful debates about how pictures influence modern culture, and improve the formal and technical abilities needed to broaden the scope of lens-based art.

Students gain knowledge of music, performance, publication, still and moving pictures, new media, installations, and sound. The curriculum covers both analog and digital photography, writing and publishing, moving images and installation, collaborating in museum and gallery contexts, painting and social practice, documentaries, art criticism, and grassroots and community venues.

The Photography and Media programs are to support photographers and artists. All enrolled students, both current and prospective, can get financial aid through the financial aid office, which also offers tools and information. Private, institutional, state, and federal sources of funding are only a few of the available options.

8. The Yale School of Art

Graduate-level institution, the Yale School of Art, offers an MFA in photography. The main educational focus for graduate students at Yale is their studio work. The minimum number of credits required for the Master of Fine Arts degree is sixty. The Yale School of Art’s graduate MFA program’s financial aid procedure runs in cycles throughout each academic year.

Capturing light with Black and white photography, seeing color with digital photography, picture representation, a visual voice in analog photography, digital photography, advanced projects in photography, practice, and production, advanced projects in photography, contemporary issues in photography, spectral spaces, workerism, individual criticism, artist writing, and artist books.

The school is committed to both the development of the students intellectually and the improvement of their visual abilities. The financial aid options for students include scholarships, work-study & part-time employment, prizes, awards, grants, fellowships, and teaching assistant positions.

9. Arizona University College of Fine Arts School of Art

Arizona University College of Fine Arts School of Art maintains a variety of academic programs of high caliber. By providing access to all of the Center’s resources, such as semester-long internships and lectures by renowned photographers, historians, and critics, the Centre for Creative Photography plays a significant part in the education of PVI and Art History students.

Both a bachelor’s degree in fine arts with a focus on studio art and a master’s degree in fine arts with a focus on studio art, photography, video, and imaging are available. In their educational offerings, students can learn about video, studio work, digital photography, conventional and non-silver darkroom procedures, hybrid digital/analog approaches, performance, installation, interaction, and emerging image-forming technologies.

Numerous scholarships, exemptions, and other types of financial aid are offered to eligible students. Each spring semester, the School of Art grants more than $65,000 in scholarships to be used during the following academic year.

10. Columbia College Chicago

The private, nonprofit Columbia College Chicago is situated in the center of Chicago’s Cultural Mile. The college offers a unique curriculum that combines the liberal arts, commerce, and creative and media arts. You will have an unrivaled basis for a long-lasting career thanks to Columbia’s renowned photography department, professors, and resources.

The college offers BA, BFA, and MFA in photography, along with a minor. The average class size includes fewer than 18 students, providing them with individual opportunities to apply their creativity. Moreover, award-winning professionals who teach photography provide encouraging learning settings and offer individual feedback on student work.

The tuition and fees for students enrolled in a full-time undergraduate program for a year are $32,520. The tuition for graduate programs can range from $179 to $500. The school offers various financial aid options, including institutional scholarships to fund your studies.

11. New York Institute of Photography

One of the biggest and oldest photography schools in the world is the New York Institute of Photography (NYIP). Students from all around the world can learn photography easily and with enjoyment from the accessible online courses. You get to learn the nuances of photography with the help of the online certificate programs offered by NYIP.

The institute offers three programs, including the Professional Photography Course, Fundamentals of Digital Photography, and Graphic Design Course. After finishing any of the online photography programs, graduates will obtain the NYIP Photography Certificate. The NYSED evaluates and approves each certificate program in photography.

Students can choose either the full payment plan or the monthly payment plan for fee payment. The school offers a 14-day no-risk refund policy where you can try any of the offered programs for 14 days and claim a refund of the fee payments if you are not satisfied. The institution is recognized by the Better Business Bureau and has a license from the New York State Education Department.

Wrapping Up

A career in photography needs you to have the skills along with creative-thinking abilities. You can acquire these skills and sharpen them in photography schools to advance your career. Working under the guidance of a professional will help you learn all the nuances of photography.