Put it on a CD-rom. Seriously.(posted 8237 days ago)For all the problems with screen calibration, electronic pubishing is the best way to distribute quality images at a reasonable price. We do short-run printing of theses and institutional brochures all the time here, and the sort of print and paper quality which will do justice to your photographs doesn't come cheap.
If you relax the requirement to have high quality colour images intermingled with your text the options open up. Like many exhibition catalogues, you could have B+W images with the text, and then a portfolio-like set of high-quality prints bound in at the end. That way you can use two different print technologies, and make the best of both. Binding in actual photographic prints would probably be the simplest option, but there are other print technologies if you want double-sided pages or a particular surface finish.
Does your university have a print shop? Most do, and the people there will be better at answering this sort of question than us, and will be able to show you examples from the various print technologies and explain the quality and cost tradeoffs.