Photography is one of the best hobbies as well as a preferred profession. Indeed Photography is meant to be one of the expensive hobbies. Whatsoever, but for a lot of teenagers, it is a passion nowadays around the world. The impact of the growing popularity in photography has indeed resulted in the establishment of numerous photography colleges. It is not limited to any one particular location or nation. Globally, photography colleges, universities, institutes, academies, and schools are increasing rapidly. And henceforth, this article is all about to know which are the top best photography colleges in the World 2020.
Which are the Top best Photography Colleges in the World?
The total list will go above 100 centers for photography education in the World. We researched this and summarized in listing the top best 20 photography colleges in the World. Surprisingly, the colleges on this list had unique photography education in the best photography campus. Let’s go through the list in particular as given below.
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
- Creative Hut Institute of Photography, India
- Spéos: Photography School, USA
- Rochester Institute of Technology, USA
- Royal College of Art, UK
- Rhode Island School of Design, USA
- California Institute of the Arts, California, USA
- Photography Studies College, Australia
- National Institute of Design, India
- University of California (Los Angeles), USA
- School of Visual Art, USA
- Accademia Italiana, Rome, and Florence, Italy
- California College of the Arts, USA
- The Royal Academy of Art, Netherlands
- Arizona State University, USA
- Maryland Institute College of Art, USA
- Indian Institute of Technology, India
- Massachusetts College of Art and Design, USA
- Paris College of Art, France
- Ryerson University School of Image Arts, Canada
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Year of Foundation: 1866
Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States
SAIC is one of the well-known and oldest accredited schools of art and design in the USA. Furthermore, it has the USA’s largest school-museum campus. In the year 1879, the school got incorporated as the Chicago Academy of Fine Art. On the other hand, in 1882 the name was changed to the Art Institute of Chicago.
Courses offered: Various courses offered here are, for instance, classes in art and technology, arts administration, art education, fashion design, filmmaking, journalism, photography, new media, video, visual communication, and many more. The department of photography at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago offers BFA and MFA.
Creative Hut Institute of Photography, India
Year of Foundation: 2007
Location: Kerala, India
Creative Hut Institute of Photography has a naturally blessed campus in Kerala, God’s Own Country, India. The college follows a traditional Gurukul system where students learning under the mentors’ lives on the same campus. It is the world’s first photography residential college dedicated only to Photography education. Moreover, the college is a recipient of many awards and recognitions for its photography records.
Courses offered: College offers one-year residential courses in Photography. Professional Diploma In Art of Photography and Kerala Government Technical Education, Professional Diploma In Wildlife Photography, Professional Diploma In Fashion Photography Course, Professional Diploma in Travel Photography, Professional Diploma in Photojournalism.
Spéos: Photography School, USA
Year of Foundation: 1985
Location: Paris, Biarritz, and London
Spéos had preserved a preserving a very significant French National Heritage site since 1999: The Nicéphore Niépce House Museum. Significantly, the place is where the very first photograph in the world was taken by Nicéphore Niépce, the inventor of photography. Hence, the location itself along with the study structure brings this college into the list of Top best photography colleges in the World 2020.
Courses offered: Spéos offers courses in English and French, in Paris and London. Additionally, they have a wide choice of programs in 5 months in Paris or London and programs in 1 year or 2 years. Spéos offers unique and exclusive specialized programs with some of the branded partners (Magnum Photos, Polka, INSEP).
Rochester Institute of Technology, USA
Year of Foundation: 1829
Location: Rochester, US
Rochester Institute of Technology is made up of five schools. Namely, School for American Crafts, School of Art, School of Design, School of Film and Animation, School of Photographic Arts and Sciences. Particularly, each of them is dedicated to the artistic, creative, and professional interests of the students.
Courses Offered: Rochester Institute of Technology’s, the school of Photography Arts and Sciences conducts a career-focused curriculum. RIT has several undergraduate Degree (BFA) as well as a Post Graduate (MFA) in Photography. Similarly, the college offers BFA degree courses include advertising, photography, Biomedical Photographic Communications, Journalism and Photography Imaging Technology, etc.
Royal College of Art, UK
Year of Foundation: 1837
Location: London, United Kingdom
The Royal College of Art started as the Government School of Design in 1837. The college got University status in 1967. The College is located in Kensington, Battersea and White City. They are located in three significant cultural quarters. Moreover, each of them has a unique character.
Courses Offered: Royal College of Arts provides various courses. One of the noted courses is in the department of Fine Arts offering MA in Photography.
Rhode Island School of Design, USA
Year of Foundation: 1877
Location: Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Rhode Island School of Design is known to be one of the first art and design schools in the US. It is a private, nonprofit college founded in Providence, RI. The college campus is located at the base of College Hill and contiguous with the Brown University campus.
Courses Offered: College offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs across 19 majors. BFA and MFA in Photography are the noted programs conducted in the college.
California Institute of the Arts, California, USA
Year of Foundation: 1961
Location: California, USA
The California Institute is most popularly known as CalArts. It is located 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. It indeed encompasses the towns of Valencia, Newhall, Saugus, and Canyon Country.
Course offered: College is offering 4 years of BFA and 2 years of MFA in Photography and Media. Hence, the course is dedicated to image-makers and artists interested in developing their work. The course engages the students in a critical conversation to how images are shaped to contemporary culture and build their technical knowledge as well as skills.
Photography Studies College, Australia
Year of Foundation: 1919
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Photography Studies College is listed in the 8th position in the top best photography colleges in the world. The college is commonly known as PSC. It is a privately owned independent tertiary photography college located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Courses Offered: The Photography Studies College, offers courses accredited by the Australian Peak Industry body for Photography, the Australian Institute of Professional Photography. Accredited Higher Education courses are Bachelor of Photography and Masters of Arts Photography.
National Institute of Design, India
Year of Foundation: 1958
Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
National Institute of Design, India is accorded as “Institute of National Importance” by Act of Parliament, under the National Institute of Design Act, 2014. NID design school is located in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Jorhat, and Gandhinagar India. The other NIDs are in Kurukshetra in Haryana and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh.
Course offered: National Institue of Design (NID), India offers Master of Design in Photography Design. The Photography Design program focuses on making the students understand these dynamics at the core level. College helps them in making informed choices based on their learning in the classroom and a robust industry interface.
University of California (Los Angeles), USA
Year of Foundation: 1919
Location: Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States
Course Offered: The University of California at Los Angeles offers degree programs for BFA and MFA in Photography and Digital Studies. The UCLA Department of Art is committed to a professional art training and the photography department maintains the top ranking.
School of Visual Art, USA
Year of Foundation: 1947
Location: New York, US
The school has several buildings in the Gramercy Park neighborhood, on Manhattan’s east side, and in the Chelsea neighborhood, on the west side. At the same time, the college also has a residence hall on Ludlow Street, in the Lower East Side.
Courses Offered: School of Visual Art, New York offering 4 years degree in BFA Photography and Video.
Accademia Italiana, Rome, and Florence, Italy
Year of Foundation: 1984
Location: Rome and Florence, Italy
Accademia Italiana College is located in Rome and Florence, Italy. Both the Florence as well as Rome institutes have departments of Photography and New Media.
Courses Offered: The College offers a Bachelor’s Degree in Photography And New Media, as well as a Professional Photography course in Fashion Photography.
California College of the Arts, USA
Year of Foundation: 1907
Location: San Francisco, US
CCA established in 1907 is an art, design, architecture, and writing school. The college has two campuses in California, one in San Francisco and one in Oakland. The college’s Oakland campus location was developed in 1922. Indeed this campus still houses the more traditional, craft-based studios.
Courses Offered: California College of the Arts offers four Years of BFA in Photography. Henceforth, it is a mentor program that makes students hands-on experience in the photography field.
The Royal Academy of Art, Netherlands
Year of Foundation: 1682
Location: The Hague, Netherlands
The Royal Academy of Art founded on 29 September 1682, is one of the oldest art colleges not only in the Netherlands but also in the World too.
Courses Offered: The Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK) has been a leader in educating artists and designers since 1982. The college offers Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs in Photography.
Arizona State University, USA
Year of Foundation: 2009
Location: Chicago, USA
Arizona State University is known as a public metropolitan research university. It is one of the largest public universities in the USA with five campuses. It also has four regional learning centers throughout Arizona.
Courses Offered: Arizona State University offers four years of BFA and two years of MFA in Photography. The photography program in the ASU Herberger Institute School of Art makes get access to the widest range of photographic possibilities, digital imaging, video, etc.
Maryland Institute College of Art, USA
Year of Foundation: 1826
Location: Baltimore, USA
The college campus of MICA is a mixture of buildings from different periods of Baltimore’s development. Equally important is their photography program established more than 100 years ago.
Courses Offered: MICA offers Majors and Minors (Undergraduate) in Photography. Indeed it is said to be one of the first programs of its kind worldwide.
Indian Institute of Technology, India
Year of Foundation: 2008
Location: Hyderabad, India
IIT in India is an autonomous public technical and research university located in India. As a result, the college is governed by the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961.
Courses offered: Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad offers two and a half years of program namely Master In Design (M.Des).
Massachusetts College of Art and Design, USA
Year of Foundation: 1876
Location: Los Angeles, CA, US
Massachusetts College of Art and Design, MassArt, is one of the first art colleges in the US to offer photography courses.
Courses Offered: Massachusetts College of Art and Design offers MFA as well as BFA programs in Photography.
Paris College of Art, France
Year of Foundation: 1981
Location: Paris, France
Paris College of Art is in a city of primary art and design production. PCA has accreditation from the United States National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The college is also a part of the International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design, and Media.
Courses Offered: Paris College of Art offers graduate and undergraduate degree programs in Photography.
Ryerson University School of Image Arts, Canada
Year of Foundation: 1981
Location: Toronto, Canada
Ryerson Photography and Integrated Digital BFA is Canada’s oldest as well as the prestigious photo program.
Courses Offered: College offers the BFA in Photography which indeed includes image production including video, design and emerging technologies.
If you are ready to travel and acquire Photography Education, then the best photography college in the world is there for you.
What makes the Photography Colleges Top in the list of best Photography Colleges in the World 2020?
Several factors make colleges best worldwide. On the other hand, the requirements and passion for photography are different from person to person. Hence, these colleges are the places where like-minded people dwell and grow together.
During the survey, we spoke to various individuals belonging to different Nations. They were of different age groups and educational backgrounds rather. Some of them were the passed out photography students while others were the aspirant candidates waiting to join the photography college. Thus, we had multiple answers and long discussions. Thus, the research continued in obtaining the answers to a few more questions. For instance, Why people prefer a particular college to learn photography? Why some colleges are the most preferred, suggested and recommended by many?
Moreover, the research was based on two important points. Firstly, to find the top colleges offering Photography education in the World. And secondly, to find why these colleges are best. Henceforth, we found some special factors of the photography college that made them in the best and top of the list. For instance, those factors are
- Location and Campus
- Facilities and Infrastructure
- Mentors and their Guidance
- Courses and Study Structure
- Contribution in Photography
- Dedicated Passing Results
- 100% Placement Assistance
Conclusion
Most of us are eager to learn photography. And even more interested to use cameras especially the high-end cameras. And thereafter there are times when we think about how can I become a professional photographer? In addition to this, we also think about the scope of a photography career too.
However, various photography courses will suit as per one’s needs and budget. Accordingly, one can plan out for pursuing a suitable photography course from the best photography college. Altogether, this article on Top best Photography Colleges in the World 2020 would have let you major two things. It’s not only about 20 best colleges but also what makes them best in the World.
Photography is one of the best hobbies as well as a preferred profession. Indeed Photography is meant to be one of the expensive hobbies. Whatsoever, but for a lot of teenagers, it is a passion nowadays around the world. The impact of the growing popularity in photography has indeed resulted in the establishment of numerous photography colleges. It is not limited to any one particular location or nation. Globally, photography colleges, universities, institutes, academies, and schools are increasing rapidly. And henceforth, this article is all about to know which are the top best photography colleges in the World 2020.
Which are the Top best Photography Colleges in the World 2020?
The total list will go above 100 centers for photography education in the World. We researched this and summarized in listing the top best 20 photography colleges in the World. Surprisingly, the colleges on this list had unique photography education in the best photography campus. Let’s go through the list in particular as given below.
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
- Creative Hut Institute of Photography, India
- Spéos: Photography School, USA
- Rochester Institute of Technology, USA
- Royal College of Art, UK
- Rhode Island School of Design, USA
- California Institute of the Arts, California, USA
- Photography Studies College, Australia
- National Institute of Design, India
- University of California (Los Angeles), USA
- School of Visual Art, USA
- Accademia Italiana, Rome, and Florence, Italy
- California College of the Arts, USA
- The Royal Academy of Art, Netherlands
- Arizona State University, USA
- Maryland Institute College of Art, USA
- Indian Institute of Technology, India
- Massachusetts College of Art and Design, USA
- Paris College of Art, France
- Ryerson University School of Image Arts, Canada
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Year of Foundation: 1866
Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States
SAIC is one of the well-known and oldest accredited schools of art and design in the USA. Furthermore, it has the USA’s largest school-museum campus. In the year 1879, the school got incorporated as the Chicago Academy of Fine Art. On the other hand, in 1882 the name was changed to the Art Institute of Chicago.
Courses offered: Various courses offered here are, for instance, classes in art and technology, arts administration, art education, fashion design, filmmaking, journalism, photography, new media, video, visual communication, and many more. The department of photography at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago offers BFA and MFA.
Creative Hut Institute of Photography, India
Year of Foundation: 2007
Location: Kerala, India
Creative Hut Institute of Photography has a naturally blessed campus in Kerala, God’s Own Country, India. The college follows a traditional Gurukul system where students learning under the mentors’ lives on the same campus. It is the world’s first photography residential college dedicated only to Photography education. Moreover, the college is a recipient of many awards and recognitions for its photography records.
Courses offered: College offers one-year residential courses in Photography. Professional Diploma In Art of Photography and Kerala Government Technical Education, Professional Diploma In Wildlife Photography, Professional Diploma In Fashion Photography Course, Professional Diploma in Travel Photography, Professional Diploma in Photojournalism.
Spéos: Photography School, USA
Year of Foundation: 1985
Location: Paris, Biarritz, and London
Spéos had preserved a preserving a very significant French National Heritage site since 1999: The Nicéphore Niépce House Museum. Significantly, the place is where the very first photograph in the world was taken by Nicéphore Niépce, the inventor of photography. Hence, the location itself along with the study structure brings this college into the list of Top best photography colleges in the World 2020.
Courses offered: Spéos offers courses in English and French, in Paris and London. Additionally, they have a wide choice of programs in 5 months in Paris or London and programs in 1 year or 2 years. Spéos offers unique and exclusive specialized programs with some of the branded partners (Magnum Photos, Polka, INSEP).
Rochester Institute of Technology, USA
Year of Foundation: 1829
Location: Rochester, US
Rochester Institute of Technology is made up of five schools. Namely, School for American Crafts, School of Art, School of Design, School of Film and Animation, School of Photographic Arts and Sciences. Particularly, each of them is dedicated to the artistic, creative, and professional interests of the students.
Courses Offered: Rochester Institute of Technology’s, the school of Photography Arts and Sciences conducts a career-focused curriculum. RIT has several undergraduate Degree (BFA) as well as a Post Graduate (MFA) in Photography. Similarly, the college offers BFA degree courses include advertising, photography, Biomedical Photographic Communications, Journalism and Photography Imaging Technology, etc.
Royal College of Art, UK
Year of Foundation: 1837
Location: London, United Kingdom
The Royal College of Art started as the Government School of Design in 1837. The college got University status in 1967. The College is located in Kensington, Battersea and White City. They are located in three significant cultural quarters. Moreover, each of them has a unique character.
Courses Offered: Royal College of Arts provides various courses. One of the noted courses is in the department of Fine Arts offering MA in Photography.
Rhode Island School of Design, USA
Year of Foundation: 1877
Location: Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Rhode Island School of Design is known to be one of the first art and design schools in the US. It is a private, nonprofit college founded in Providence, RI. The college campus is located at the base of College Hill and contiguous with the Brown University campus.
Courses Offered: College offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs across 19 majors. BFA and MFA in Photography are the noted programs conducted in the college.
California Institute of the Arts, California, USA
Year of Foundation: 1961
Location: California, USA
The California Institute is most popularly known as CalArts. It is located 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. It indeed encompasses the towns of Valencia, Newhall, Saugus, and Canyon Country.
Course offered: College is offering 4 years of BFA and 2 years of MFA in Photography and Media. Hence, the course is dedicated to image-makers and artists interested in developing their work. The course engages the students in a critical conversation to how images are shaped to contemporary culture and build their technical knowledge as well as skills.
Photography Studies College, Australia
Year of Foundation: 1919
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Photography Studies College is listed in the 8th position in the top best photography colleges in the world. The college is commonly known as PSC. It is a privately owned independent tertiary photography college located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Courses Offered: The Photography Studies College, offers courses accredited by the Australian Peak Industry body for Photography, the Australian Institute of Professional Photography. Accredited Higher Education courses are Bachelor of Photography and Masters of Arts Photography.
National Institute of Design, India
Year of Foundation: 1958
Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
National Institute of Design, India is accorded as “Institute of National Importance” by Act of Parliament, under the National Institute of Design Act, 2014. NID design school is located in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Jorhat, and Gandhinagar India. The other NIDs are in Kurukshetra in Haryana and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh.
Course offered: National Institue of Design (NID), India offers Master of Design in Photography Design. The Photography Design program focuses on making the students understand these dynamics at the core level. College helps them in making informed choices based on their learning in the classroom and a robust industry interface.
University of California (Los Angeles), USA
Year of Foundation: 1919
Location: Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States
Course Offered: The University of California at Los Angeles offers degree programs for BFA and MFA in Photography and Digital Studies. The UCLA Department of Art is committed to a professional art training and the photography department maintains the top ranking.
School of Visual Art, USA
Year of Foundation: 1947
Location: New York, US
The school has several buildings in the Gramercy Park neighborhood, on Manhattan’s east side, and in the Chelsea neighborhood, on the west side. At the same time, the college also has a residence hall on Ludlow Street, in the Lower East Side.
Courses Offered: School of Visual Art, New York offering 4 years degree in BFA Photography and Video.
Accademia Italiana, Rome, and Florence, Italy
Year of Foundation: 1984
Location: Rome and Florence, Italy
Accademia Italiana College is located in Rome and Florence, Italy. Both the Florence as well as Rome institutes have departments of Photography and New Media.
Courses Offered: The College offers a Bachelor’s Degree in Photography And New Media, as well as a Professional Photography course in Fashion Photography.
California College of the Arts, USA
Year of Foundation: 1907
Location: San Francisco, US
CCA established in 1907 is an art, design, architecture, and writing school. The college has two campuses in California, one in San Francisco and one in Oakland. The college’s Oakland campus location was developed in 1922. Indeed this campus still houses the more traditional, craft-based studios.
Courses Offered: California College of the Arts offers four Years of BFA in Photography. Henceforth, it is a mentor program that makes students hands-on experience in the photography field.
The Royal Academy of Art, Netherlands
Year of Foundation: 1682
Location: The Hague, Netherlands
The Royal Academy of Art founded on 29 September 1682, is one of the oldest art colleges not only in the Netherlands but also in the World too.
Courses Offered: The Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK) has been a leader in educating artists and designers since 1982. The college offers Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs in Photography.
Arizona State University, USA
Year of Foundation: 2009
Location: Chicago, USA
Arizona State University is known as a public metropolitan research university. It is one of the largest public universities in the USA with five campuses. It also has four regional learning centers throughout Arizona.
Courses Offered: Arizona State University offers four years of BFA and two years of MFA in Photography. The photography program in the ASU Herberger Institute School of Art makes get access to the widest range of photographic possibilities, digital imaging, video, etc.
Maryland Institute College of Art, USA
Year of Foundation: 1826
Location: Baltimore, USA
The college campus of MICA is a mixture of buildings from different periods of Baltimore’s development. Equally important is their photography program established more than 100 years ago.
Courses Offered: MICA offers Majors and Minors (Undergraduate) in Photography. Indeed it is said to be one of the first programs of its kind worldwide.
Indian Institute of Technology, India
Year of Foundation: 2008
Location: Hyderabad, India
IIT in India is an autonomous public technical and research university located in India. As a result, the college is governed by the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961.
Courses offered: Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad offers two and a half years of program namely Master In Design (M.Des).
Massachusetts College of Art and Design, USA
Year of Foundation: 1876
Location: Los Angeles, CA, US
Massachusetts College of Art and Design, MassArt, is one of the first art colleges in the US to offer photography courses.
Courses Offered: Massachusetts College of Art and Design offers MFA as well as BFA programs in Photography.
Paris College of Art, France
Year of Foundation: 1981
Location: Paris, France
Paris College of Art is in a city of primary art and design production. PCA has accreditation from the United States National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The college is also a part of the International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design, and Media.
Courses Offered: Paris College of Art offers graduate and undergraduate degree programs in Photography.
Ryerson University School of Image Arts, Canada
Year of Foundation: 1981
Location: Toronto, Canada
Ryerson Photography and Integrated Digital BFA is Canada’s oldest as well as the prestigious photo program.
Courses Offered: College offers the BFA in Photography which indeed includes image production including video, design and emerging technologies.
If you are ready to travel and acquire Photography Education, then the best photography college in the world is there for you.
What makes the Photography Colleges Top in the list of best Photography Colleges in the World 2020?
Several factors make colleges best worldwide. On the other hand, the requirements and passion for photography are different from person to person. Hence, these colleges are the places where like-minded people dwell and grow together.
During the survey, we spoke to various individuals belonging to different Nations. They were of different age groups and educational backgrounds rather. Some of them were the passed out photography students while others were the aspirant candidates waiting to join the photography college. Thus, we had multiple answers and long discussions. Thus, the research continued in obtaining the answers to a few more questions. For instance, Why people prefer a particular college to learn photography? Why some colleges are the most preferred, suggested and recommended by many?
Moreover, the research was based on two important points. Firstly, to find the top colleges offering Photography education in the World. And secondly, to find why these colleges are best. Henceforth, we found some special factors of the photography college that made them in the best and top of the list. For instance, those factors are
- Location and Campus
- Facilities and Infrastructure
- Mentors and their Guidance
- Courses and Study Structure
- Contribution in Photography
- Dedicated Passing Results
- 100% Placement Assistance
Conclusion
Most of us are eager to learn photography. And even more interested to use cameras especially the high-end cameras. And thereafter there are times when we think about how can I become a professional photographer? In addition to this, we also think about the scope of a photography career too.
However, various photography courses will suit as per one’s needs and budget. Accordingly, one can plan out for pursuing a suitable photography course from the best photography college. Altogether, this article on Top best Photography Colleges in the World 2020 would have let you major two things. It’s not only about 20 best colleges but also what makes them best in the World.
