Is photography something I can study at college?

Photography can be a minor or major but to get the most out of it you should pair it with journalism or marketing

Yes, you can study and get a degree in photography. Although, that is not a guarantee of success in the field. I would suggest doing some research into the profession and see if there is an area of photography that really excites you. For many areas of the photo profession, a degree in photography is not necessary. I recommend using the internet as a resource to research photo careers and go from there.

You can study photography in College, it's offered in the School of Arts of most colleges. However, I would research the field very closely as there are tons of photo studios out there at this time, so many people without an education and a camera have called themselves a photographer and are hurting the real professionals. I've heard of several very well known photographers having to close down their studio due to the fact that all of these other photographers are not pricing at the appropriate rates and just pulling the whole market down. It's hard to make a living in photography these days, so I would research the feasibility before deciding on photography as a major.

Yes. The link below has the best photography schools in the states.

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-fine-arts-schools/photography-rankings

Since I've been a pro for over 40 years and my college degree was in the social sciences, I'd say you would be better off spending your money to study something other than photography in college. I do recommend attending photography workshops in addition to reading everything you can about the craft of photography. My teacher in a workshop many years ago told me that "if photography was easy, everyone would be doing it." Well, with digital it is easy and everyone is doing it. The competition is fierce now and assignment rates have declined considerably, not that there is much assignment photography anymore. Many buyers go for micro-stock images now, which are very cheap compared to what stock photographers used to charge. I doubt more than a few could possibly make a living selling at micro-stock rates which can be as low as 50 cents per usage.

As a photo tour leader, I have known many who love photography, do it on a professional quality level, but do it as a hobby while they earn a living in a much more lucrative career. I also know pros with a passion to do photography who can make a living at it because they are very good business people, are highly persistent, and know how to make opportunities happen. You just have to decide which you want to try to be.

Photography is absolutely something you can study in college. I have a BFA in photography and it is a major in many universities. To be frank you don't have to have a degree in photography to be a photographer. The education helps if you have no idea what you are doing but you can also try to intern and assist photographers in your area to help with the education. I wouldn't go into extreme debt to obtain a photography degree though, it would be better for you to get a great education at a great price since our equipment can be pricey and you don't want to start out freelancing with a ton of debt. Just try to get as much education from as many sources as you can! I am happy that I pursued a college degree and my career in photography but it took a few years for my career to take off after college.