Opelika, Alabama has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs, with tuition ranging from $9,700 to $34,922 per year for indexed programs. Opelika has a population of about 35,005. In Alabama, the top-earning communications-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $98,210 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Communications Schools to Opelika
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer communications programs near Opelika, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Opelika city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Opelika.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
46%
Graduation rate
81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$65,337
Avg net price
$24,323/yr
TuitionIn‑state$12,890
Out‑of‑state$34,922
Key stats- Retention rate: 94%
- Programs offered: 151
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,641
Avg net price
$35,013/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 78%
- Programs offered: 43
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
92%
Graduation rate
34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,391
Avg net price
$13,224/yr
TuitionIn‑state$9,700
Out‑of‑state$20,668
Key stats- Retention rate: 67%
- Programs offered: 42
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,601
Avg net price
$22,566/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 67%
- Programs offered: 28
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
98%
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$34,502
Avg net price
$20,435/yr
TuitionIn‑state$11,248
Out‑of‑state$19,576
Key stats- Retention rate: 65%
- Programs offered: 43
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$32,229
Avg net price
$15,560/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 64%
- Programs offered: 16
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,062
Avg net price
$16,527/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 68
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,235
Avg net price
$14,279/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 64%
- Programs offered: 54
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama communications page.
Communications Wages Near Opelika
Opelika is part of the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area (BLS area code 12220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Public Relations Specialist | $63,920 | Auburn-Opelika, AL | $72,719 |
| Public Relations Manager | $98,210 | AL statewide | $111,729 |
| News Analyst, Reporter and Journalist | $43,440 | AL statewide | $49,420 |
| Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist | $59,650 | Auburn-Opelika, AL | $67,861 |
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Opelika at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 87.9 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Opelika-Area Cities With Communications Programs
- Auburn, AL – 7.5 mi away (88,379 pop)
- Valley, AL – 15.4 mi away (20,441 pop)
- Phenix City, AL – 24.9 mi away (38,509 pop)
- Columbus, GA – 31.0 mi away (263,737 pop)
- LaGrange, GA – 32.0 mi away (33,564 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited communications schools are near Opelika, AL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs near Opelika. The closest is Auburn University in Auburn, AL (7.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Huntingdon College (57.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying communications roles near Opelika?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying communications-related roles near Opelika are: Public Relations Manager ($98,210), Public Relations Specialist ($63,920), Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist ($59,650). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Auburn instead of Opelika?
Auburn, AL is 7.5 miles from Opelika and has its own set of local communications programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Learn More About Communications Programs
Other Programs Available in Opelika
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Opelika:
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- Journalism programs in Opelika, AL
- Public Relations programs in Opelika, AL
- Communication Disorders programs in Opelika, AL
- Speech Pathology programs in Opelika, AL
- Technical Communication programs in Opelika, AL
- Professional Writing programs in Opelika, AL
- Strategic Communications programs in Opelika, AL
- Business Development programs in Opelika, AL
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- Financial Technology programs in Opelika, AL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Opelika, AL
- Health Information Management programs in Opelika, AL
- Hospitality Management programs in Opelika, AL
- International Business programs in Opelika, AL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Opelika, AL
- Management Information Systems programs in Opelika, AL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Opelika, AL
- Operations Management programs in Opelika, AL
- Public Administration programs in Opelika, AL
- Real Estate programs in Opelika, AL
- Recreation Management programs in Opelika, AL
- Retail Management programs in Opelika, AL
- Risk Management programs in Opelika, AL
- Statistics programs in Opelika, AL
- Taxation programs in Opelika, AL
- Corrections programs in Opelika, AL
- Crime Analysis programs in Opelika, AL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Opelika, AL
- Criminology programs in Opelika, AL
- Cybercrime programs in Opelika, AL
- Emergency Management programs in Opelika, AL
- Fire Science programs in Opelika, AL
- Forensic Science programs in Opelika, AL
- Legal Services programs in Opelika, AL
- Legal Studies programs in Opelika, AL
- Paralegal programs in Opelika, AL
- Security Management programs in Opelika, AL
- Cloud Computing programs in Opelika, AL
- Computer Engineering programs in Opelika, AL
- Innovation programs in Opelika, AL
- Mobile App Development programs in Opelika, AL
- Software Development programs in Opelika, AL
- User Experience programs in Opelika, AL
- Web Development programs in Opelika, AL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Opelika, AL
- Machine Learning programs in Opelika, AL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Opelika, AL
- Data Analytics programs in Opelika, AL
- Public Health programs in Opelika, AL
- Human Resources programs in Opelika, AL
- Project Management programs in Opelika, AL
- Special Education programs in Opelika, AL
- Homeland Security programs in Opelika, AL
- Marketing programs in Opelika, AL
- Finance programs in Opelika, AL
- Kinesiology programs in Opelika, AL
- Sports Management programs in Opelika, AL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Opelika, AL
- Elementary Education programs in Opelika, AL
- Biology programs in Opelika, AL
- Graphic Design programs in Opelika, AL
- Human Services programs in Opelika, AL
- MBA programs in Opelika, AL
- Criminal Justice programs in Opelika, AL
- Nursing programs in Opelika, AL
- Business Administration programs in Opelika, AL
- Computer Science programs in Opelika, AL
- Psychology programs in Opelika, AL
- Education programs in Opelika, AL
- Engineering programs in Opelika, AL
- Technology programs in Opelika, AL
- Liberal Arts programs in Opelika, AL
- Healthcare programs in Opelika, AL
- Cybersecurity programs in Opelika, AL
- Accounting programs in Opelika, AL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Opelika, AL
- Social Work programs in Opelika, AL
- Counseling programs in Opelika, AL
Data verified: August 31, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
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