Best Online Communications Programs in Brea, CA (2026)

Brea, California has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs, with tuition ranging from $7,470 to $23,955 per year for indexed programs. Brea has a population of about 47,337. Median household income is $124,837 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning communications-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $163,830 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Communications Schools to Brea

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer communications programs near Brea, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Brea 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:

  • 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 Brea. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, CA 3.0 miles from Brea BOC Score 85.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,951
Avg net price $6,555/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,470
Out‑of‑state$20,070
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Biola University

La Mirada, CA 8.7 miles from Brea BOC Score 61.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,778
Avg net price $31,495/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Pomona, CA 9.9 miles from Brea BOC Score 86.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,902
Avg net price $11,531/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,780
Out‑of‑state$20,380
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Cypress College

Cypress, CA 11.4 miles from Brea BOC Score 49.5
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,533
Avg net price $4,606/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Rio Hondo College

Whittier, CA 11.6 miles from Brea BOC Score 59.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,950
Avg net price $14,379/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,388
Out‑of‑state$9,884
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Santa Ana College

Santa Ana, CA 11.7 miles from Brea BOC Score 65.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,552
Avg net price $3,133/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,180
Out‑of‑state$10,756
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Life Pacific University

San Dimas, CA 12.2 miles from Brea BOC Score 38.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,299
Avg net price $20,898/yr
Tuition
In‑state$22,118
Out‑of‑state$22,118
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of La Verne

La Verne, CA 13.2 miles from Brea BOC Score 62.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,464
Avg net price $20,161/yr
Tuition
In‑state$49,470
Out‑of‑state$49,470
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California communications page.


Communications Wages Near Brea

Brea is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$79,860Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$70,299
Public Relations Manager$163,830Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$144,217
News Analyst, Reporter and JournalistN/ACA statewide
Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist$82,990Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$73,055

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.


Brea at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population47,337Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$124,837Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+50.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Brea-Area Cities With Communications Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited communications schools are near Brea, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs near Brea. The closest is California State University-Fullerton in Fullerton, CA (3.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California State Polytechnic University-Pomona (9.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying communications roles near Brea?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying communications-related roles near Brea are: Public Relations Manager ($163,830), Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist ($82,990), Public Relations Specialist ($79,860). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Placentia instead of Brea?

Placentia, CA is 3.1 miles from Brea 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.

Is Brea an affordable place to study communications?

Brea’s median household income of $124,837 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Brea while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

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 Brea

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Brea:

Data verified: July 30, 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.