Affiliated with the world-renowned Art Institute of Chicago, this school, ranked as the second-best photography program in the country by "U.S. News & World Report," offers a bachelor of fine arts degree in photography.
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
37 S. Wabash Ave.
Chicago, IL 60603
312-629-6100
saic.edu/
RISD, one of the country's premier art schools, has a photography faculty stocked with luminaries, including Deborah Bright, Eva Sutton, Steven Smith and Henry Horenstein, the author of a well-known manual on black-and-while photography.
Rhode Island School of Design
2 College St.
Providence, RI 02903
401-454-6100
risd.edu
Parsons in New York City offers master's and bachelor's degrees in photography. The program is headed by Australian artist Simone Douglas and the former directory of photography for "Vibe" magazine, George Pitts.
Parsons The New School for Design
66 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10011
212-229-8900
newschool.edu/parsons/
Founded by Ansel Adams more than 60 years ago, the San Francisco Art Institute's photography department focuses on traditional darkroom photography in black and white and color plus digital imaging and collage.
San Francisco Art Institute
800 Chestnut St.
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-771-7020
SFAI.org
Located in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, Pratt Institute offers a bachelor of fine arts in photography that requires students to take eight semesters of photography courses followed by a senior project.
Pratt Institute
200 Willoughby Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11205-3899
718-636-3514
pratt.edu
Offering fine arts degrees at the undergraduate and graduate level, CalArts balances classes on photographic technique with courses on art history, semiotics (sign processes) and media critique.
CalArts
24700 McBean Parkway
Valencia, CA 91355-2340
661-255-1050
calarts.edu/
Cranbrook has played host to a dazzling number of visiting photographers, including Ari Marcopoulos, Gregory Crewdson and William Wegman. Offering graduate and undergraduate degrees, it is run by artist-in-residence Liz Cohen.
Cranbrook Academy of Art
39221 Woodward Ave.
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304
248-645-3300
cranbrookart.edu/
Arizona State's Herberger Institute School of Art contains one of the most well-regarded photo programs in the country, offering graduate and undergraduate degrees. The program is small--there are only six full-time faculty--and accepts only several dozen students each year.
Arizona State University
7001 E. Williams Field Road
Mesa, AZ 85212
480-727-3278
asu.edu
For decades, Yale's celebrated master of fine arts photography program, ranked by "U.S. News & World Report" as the best in the country, has been headed by legendary photographer Tod Papageorge. The faculty also includes famous photographers Gregory Crewdson and Philip-Lorca diCorcia.
Yale University School of Art
1156 Chapel St.
New Haven, CT
(203) 432-2600
art.yale.edu
Led by renowned photographer Thomas Roma, the Columbia University photography department offers a comprehensive education to undergraduates and graduates with an emphasis on traditional dark-room techniques.
Columbia University
108 Low Memorial Library
535 W. 116th St., MC 4303
New York, NY 10027
212.854.8903
columbia.edu