15 Best Photojournalism Schools 2024 for All Students

Photojournalism is a constantly evolving field that requires both technical skills and a keen eye for storytelling.

With so many schools offering photography programs, it can be overwhelming to decide which one is the best fit for you.

Choosing the right photojournalism school can make all the difference in your career. From learning the basics of photography to mastering the art of visual storytelling, the school you choose will shape your future as a photojournalist.

If you’re looking to kickstart your career in photojournalism, here’s a guide to some of the best photojournalism schools around the world.

What is PhotoJournalism?
What are the different areas you can venture into as a Photojournalism?
Is Photojournalism a Good Major?
Where to Study Photojournalism
Are There Photojournalism Degrees Online ?
15 Best Photojournalism Colleges 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
References
Recommendations

What is PhotoJournalism?

In clear terms, Photojournalism is the act of telling stories through pictures. A good photojournalist narrates the plot of an event by capturing every significant part of it.

Anyone can relate to and tell the story by watching these photographs. The role of Photojournalism is not just to click and save files. Photographers take beautiful pictures.

To be a photojournalist, you must ensure your images are up to the highest standard of journalism and convey just the truth. Just like a good image, your pictures must have these elements:

Good use of light
Color
A captivating moment
Correct composition for the situation
The photographer’s choice of distance to their subject

What are the different areas you can venture into as a Photojournalism?

Photojournalists may decide to major in any of these types of Photojournalism.

Spot news photojournalism.
General news photojournalism.
Feature photojournalism.
Sports action photojournalism.
Portrait/personality photojournalism.
Pictorial Photojournalism.
Illustration photojournalism

Is Photojournalism a Good Major?

What is good is solely determined by your definition of ‘good.’ If you ask how rewarding it is to take up a photojournalism degree, yes, it is a good major.

According to expert Photography, ‘Photojournalism is one of the most rewarding genres of Photography. It isn’t easy to make a career out of it, but it’s possible if you want it.

If you love to tell stories of events yet are a ‘man’ of few words, Photojournalism may be a rewarding career for you. To achieve this, you should align your storytelling skills with your love for Photography.

Interestingly, you will learn news writing, publication, and production to an extent. By implication, if you ever get tired of capturing the moment, you can always pick up your pen and narrate in words.

Where to Study Photojournalism

Studying journalism must stem from a place of passion. Where you study is as important as why. So, choosing the right college can not be overemphasized.

While studying for a photojournalism degree online is fine, it is best to go for a college program that grants hands-on training. With this, you can sharpen your skills quicker than focusing on theoretical teachings.

There are many colleges across the nation where you can study Photojournalism. However, our list of best photojournalism colleges will help you choose the right college.

Are There Photojournalism Degrees Online?

Yes, there are online photojournalism degrees, although they are rare. Some colleges in the US offer them, mostly for working professionals.

These photojournalism programs are designed to earn a bachelor’s degree and award credits for life and work experience. However, you should consider a degree on campus to pursue it longer.

Campus Explorer opines, “An online bachelor’s degree in photojournalism, journalism, or photography can prepare you for several career options in the industry.”

15 Best Photojournalism Colleges 2024

It is fine to feel agitated about choosing the right school. With several colleges claiming to have the best program for you, selecting one that aligns with your values may be challenging.

So, with the plethora of information available on their official web pages and rankings from notable ranking sites, we have carefully compiled the best photojournalism colleges in 2024. Which is exactly what you want? Let’s get started.

#1. George Washington University

GWU offers a four-year undergraduate program in Photojournalism that awards a BA. Its Corcoran College of the Arts and Design offers The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photojournalism program.

The undergraduate program provides a unique, multidisciplinary training ground for a new generation of visual reporters and documentarians. Students will explore the traditions of photojournalism and studio art practices.

Students get hands-on training as they have access to a constant procession of news and documentary subjects. Students create unique visual and reporting voices in tandem with in-depth photojournalism, multimedia classes, and reporting classes.

This program aims to Lead the next generation of visual reporters and documentarians. Click the enroll button to apply now.

Program Website

#2. Yale University

Yale ranks one of the best photojournalism programs in the US. It offers an Art major that allows students to concentrate on Photography.

Art majors develop a critical and practical understanding of the visual arts and design through a studio-based curriculum that organically

blends practice with critical thinking and art historical precedents
apply fundamentals of visual art across a variety of mediums and disciplines
relate the practice of making art and design to culture and the study areas of art history and theory
learn to embody the knowledge and practice of at least one artistic discipline through active search and research

This photojournalism program allows a practice and feedback model that helps students develop their critical voices. Enrolling in this program is an eligibility criterion to apply for the Ellen Battell Stoeckel Fellowship for study at the Yale University Summer School of Music and Art in Norfolk, Connecticut.

To enroll, visit the program’s website.

Program Link

#3. University of Cincinnati

UC College of Arts and Science offers an undergraduate program with majors in Photojournalism. Students must take core courses in journalism. However, they may choose electives within one of the three available tracks: Magazine, News, and Photojournalism.

Journalism graduates complete the course outline and the photojournalism internship program that boosts placement records. This university ranks 131 in the Best Colleges in America, according to Niche.com.

Program Link

#4. University of the Arts London

Made up of 6 colleges and over 19,000 students from across the world, Grayson Perry, the university chancellor, posits the school is the world’s biggest factory for making trouble.

It offers a four-year degree program that awards a BA (Hons) in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography.

The program is designed to help students develop their unique identity as visual storytellers. They learn skills across this rapidly changing and dynamic industry, from news photography and current events to conceptual documentary, editorial, and multimedia.

Below is what to expect in this undergraduate program.

You’ll follow an innovative and exciting curriculum rooted in the methodologies of photojournalism and documentary photography as they are practised professionally today.
You’ll gain the essential skills to become a working photographer, equipping you to produce work for various outlets, including newspapers, magazines, digital platforms, galleries, books, and picture agencies. It is common for our students to work to a professional standard by their third year.
The course’s practical elements emphasize learning by doing: you will begin by learning to photograph newsworthy subjects and create topical documentary stories, and then develop your self-directed documentary practice, culminating in a final major project and a dissertation.
You are encouraged to become involved with the lively photographic community in London. This process is enhanced by an exciting range of visiting speakers from the photographic and related industries.
Complementing the practical and career-focused aspects of this degree course are contextual studies in the history of photojournalism and documentary photography, delivered by academics who are internationally published scholars.

Program Link

#5. Rochester Institute of Technology

RIT is one of the best photojournalism schools in the world. It offers an undergraduate degree with a BA in Photographic and Imaging Arts BFA – Photojournalism Option.

This photojournalism program is designed to teach students to produce non-fiction visual reporting. These reports must tell the stories of people, social issues, and events.

Students learn to create and publish still and moving photographic reporting upon graduation.

The program offers courses in photojournalism fundamentals, picture editing, and multimedia. Courses like sound, video gathering, and video editing are also available.

The school’s graduates are known for their outstanding work. Over the years, eleven alumni have won a combined 15 Pulitzer Prizes for their work in visual journalism.

Program Link

#6. California College of Arts

At CCA, students can learn Photography from world-renowned artists and collaborate with designers, printmakers, and more.

The college brags about its dialogue and open critique model it employs in its close-knit community.

Upon graduation, students are conversant with deep thinking and confidence in image-based art. This is attained through its historical and contemporary aesthetic movements.

Earning this degree affords you the time to make connections, learn professional techniques, and discover creative fields.

Program Link

#7. University of Central Florida

This top school of Photojournalism offers an undergraduate program that awards a BA in Photography AS to a BS.

This photography degree, offered by UCF on the Daytona Beach Campus, prepares students for professional practice with strong technical, creative, and critical skills.

In the state, students pay $212 per credit hour to earn this degree, which uses nude models for reference. If you choose the Orlando campus, its visual arts and design schools offer Photography.

This program is part of the Art, Studio Track, and Studio Art Programs.

Program Link

#8. Drexel University

Located in Philadelphia, Drexel University is one of the top photojournalism colleges in the world. Its Photography program is one of the most elite in the US. Graduates from this course are winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Photojournalism.

Most of them are also winners of The John Simon Guggenheim Fellowships. The school of Photojournalism blends high visual literacy with cutting-edge technology lessons.

Students get the required knowledge for the labour market and conquer it easily. Students get enlightenment on every medium aspect, beginning in the darkroom, moving on to complex still digital techniques, and incorporating motion and video.

It also offers a six-month co-op in the industry, during which three courses are dedicated to photographic business practices, which increases the student’s placement upon graduation.

Program Link

#9. Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

RMIT offers a 12-credit-point program in Photojournalism. The program explores journalistic storytelling and examines the role of news values. It focuses on how images can tell and enhance news stories.

In addition, students get acquainted with the complementary relationship between words and images. They can discuss the historical and ethical aspects that define journalism. The learning outcomes of this program include the ability of students to

Develop practical and technical skills to adapt to current and future changes in the industry quickly.
Apply a body of theoretical and practical knowledge and specific skills in journalism on which to base your professional practice or future study.

Program Link

#10. The University of Queensland, Australia

This school of Photojournalism offers a program that contextualizes reporting and journalistic investigation. It also explores the principles and practices of editing within visual forms, including television, video, and Photography.

The program theoretically enhances awareness of visual media’s specifics (media logic).

It develops the capacity to produce forms of journalism (television, news, features, current affairs, Photojournalism, video journalism, etc.).

Students will receive an assessment by Quiz, Slide Show, Visual portfolio, and Video.

Program Link

#11. Kent State University

Kent State holds a place of distinction in Photojournalism. It was the subject of one of the most moving images of the US students protesting the Vietnam War.

Its state university is one of the best schools for Photojournalism. It offers a program that teaches students how to think like a photojournalist. They learn to tell stories in visual form and build strong portfolios.

It also offers its students Photojournalism as a minor and an opportunity for the Hagedorn Scholarship in Photography. Winners get access to tuition support and funding for enriching out-of-classroom experiences.

The program is delivered in person at the Kent campus.

Program Link

#12. Western Kentucky University

Through its School of Media, Western Kentucky University offers an undergraduate degree encouraging students to become critical thinkers. Its broad-based liberal arts curriculum upholds the American Press system.

They are taught that the Press must be free, independent, and responsible. Graduates from this photojournalism degree become critical thinkers and competent communicators who gain insight into the functions and responsibilities of contemporary communications institutions.

If you enjoy telling stories about people, Western Kentucky University offers the right photojournalism degree for you.

Program Link

#13. Ohio University

At its School of Visual Communication, students learn the art of capturing moments, the technology, and the skills to do so.

To excel, you must learn to interact with community members and find unique and compelling ways to tell your story. By the end of the racist semester, students enrolled in this course started taking photos.

This top school of Photojournalism offers a 120-credit hour program that includes

a major core of the study
General liberal arts classes
a focus on a specialization area,
an internship.

Program Link

#14. Boston University

Boston University offers a course program in Photojournalism. It is one of the best photojournalism schools in the world.

As a prerequisite to graduating from this program, students photograph assignments to the standards of professional news outlets and advance their skills in digital Photography for use on websites and in publications.

If you wish to earn an MS in Photojournalism, Boston University is your school.

Program Link

#15. Full Sail University

Full Sail offers a master’s degree program that awards an MA in New Media Journalism. The program teaches students how to apply traditional journalistic methods to interactive media.

It focuses on current technologies and how they can enhance narrative structure and visual storytelling.

Coursework ranges from concepts used in

digital newsroom management
multimedia reporting
legal and ethical aspects of the digital domain.

Program Link

Frequently Asked Questions

What degree should I get for photojournalism?

Get a degree in journalism, photography, or communications. However, few colleges offer an undergraduate degree in Photojournalism.

How many years does it take to become a photojournalist?

It takes 1 to 4 years to earn either a certification in Photojournalism or a degree in photojournalism.

Is a photojournalist more than a journalist?

They are both news reporters. However, photojournalist tell their own story through images while journalists depend on written text.

Conclusion

Desire breeds interest, but passion breeds action. It is a sheer desire to want to become a photojournalist. You enrol in a photojournalism degree program to make it a reality.

It’s fine if you are worried about selecting the right college. We understand how tasking and exhaustive it can get. Hence, this research-based compilation of the best photojournalism colleges in the US. Read through and choose the best program for you.