Richmond, California has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs, with tuition ranging from $16,347 to $50,547 per year for indexed programs. Richmond has a population of about 115,396. Median household income is $90,038 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning communications-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $192,720 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Communications Schools to Richmond
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer communications programs near Richmond, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Richmond 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 Richmond.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
11%
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$92,446
Avg net price
$13,481/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Key stats- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 20
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$84,713
Avg net price
$35,333/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 17
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$39,008
Avg net price
$40,613/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 21
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$89,812
Avg net price
$41,431/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 82%
- Programs offered: 42
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$78,812
Avg net price
$30,378/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 85%
- Programs offered: 27
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,077
Avg net price
$12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 36
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,702
Avg net price
$1,738/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,170
Avg net price
$4,669/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California communications page.
Communications Wages Near Richmond
Richmond is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Public Relations Specialist | $102,520 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $88,685 |
| Public Relations Manager | $192,720 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $166,713 |
| News Analyst, Reporter and Journalist | N/A | CA statewide | – |
| Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist | $123,250 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $106,618 |
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.
Richmond at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 115,396 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $90,038 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 32.5% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 115.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Richmond-Area Cities With Communications Programs
- San Pablo, CA – 1.1 mi away (30,536 pop)
- El Cerrito, CA – 2.8 mi away (25,400 pop)
- Hercules, CA – 6.1 mi away (25,360 pop)
- Berkeley, CA – 6.2 mi away (121,240 pop)
- San Rafael, CA – 10.4 mi away (58,954 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited communications schools are near Richmond, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs near Richmond. The closest is Contra Costa College in San Pablo, CA (1.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Laney College (11.4 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying communications roles near Richmond?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying communications-related roles near Richmond are: Public Relations Manager ($192,720), Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist ($123,250), Public Relations Specialist ($102,520). 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 San Pablo instead of Richmond?
San Pablo, CA is 1.1 miles from Richmond 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 Richmond an affordable place to study communications?
Richmond’s median household income of $90,038 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Richmond 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
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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.
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