Do You Need A Photography Portfolio For College and University?

photo by DNAMAG, SF Moma 2020 Exhibit / Donna-Lee Phillips, *What Do You Mean?* 1980

To attend college or university for photography, or to get a job working in photography, at some point, you will need a student photography portfolio.

You may have hundreds or thousands of photos under your belt, but have you actually gone through and identified which ones would make the most powerful photography portfolio to apply for a university photography or art program?

We’re going to break down everything you need to know about how to present your photography portfolio, what to include, and even show you some awesome photography portfolio examples for university.

Is A Photography Degree Worth It?

A common question we’ve encountered when it comes to planning out creative career paths is: “can you go to college for photography?” and the follow-up question is always: “is it worth it?”

While you don’t necessarily need a college degree in photography to build a wildly successful career in photography, studying photography can be a rewarding life experience. Not to mention the technical experience, networking, and mentorship you’ll gain from university-level photography programs can bring a lot of value to your background as a professional photographer.

Best of all, attending a university photography program can encourage you to explore different avenues of photography and experiment with a wide range of styles and techniques that you wouldn’t necessarily have access to when learning it on your own.

If you’re already convinced that applying to a college or university program for a photography degree is worth it for you, let’s jump straight into applications.