Best Online Communications Programs in Wheat Ridge, CO (2026)

Wheat Ridge, Colorado has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs, with tuition ranging from $10,383 to $54,242 per year for indexed programs. Wheat Ridge has a population of about 32,158. Median household income is $87,598 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, the top-earning communications-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $174,260 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Communications Schools to Wheat Ridge

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer communications programs near Wheat Ridge, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Wheat Ridge 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 Wheat Ridge. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Regis University

Denver, CO 4.0 miles from Wheat Ridge BOC Score 62.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,105
Avg net price $18,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Colorado Christian University

Lakewood, CO 4.3 miles from Wheat Ridge BOC Score 36.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,416
Avg net price $29,500/yr
Tuition
In‑state$41,342
Out‑of‑state$41,342
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Red Rocks Community College

Lakewood, CO 5.0 miles from Wheat Ridge BOC Score 64.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,288
Avg net price $9,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO 5.4 miles from Wheat Ridge BOC Score 43.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,093
Avg net price $15,327/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

Denver, CO 6.7 miles from Wheat Ridge BOC Score 61.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,270
Avg net price $11,900/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,383
Out‑of‑state$29,391
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Denver

Denver, CO 10.0 miles from Wheat Ridge BOC Score 70.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,155
Avg net price $36,131/yr
Tuition
In‑state$61,398
Out‑of‑state$61,398
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Colorado State University Global

Denver, CO 17.2 miles from Wheat Ridge BOC Score 57.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,813
Avg net price $16,510/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, CO 18.4 miles from Wheat Ridge BOC Score 73.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,738
Avg net price $25,346/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,666
Out‑of‑state$44,918
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Communications Wages Near Wheat Ridge

Wheat Ridge is part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (BLS area code 19740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$82,930Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$78,384
Public Relations Manager$174,260Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$164,707
News Analyst, Reporter and Journalist$74,290Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$70,217
Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist$99,040Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$93,611

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.


Wheat Ridge at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population32,158Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$87,598Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+44.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)105.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Wheat Ridge-Area Cities With Communications Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited communications schools are near Wheat Ridge, CO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs near Wheat Ridge. The closest is Regis University in Denver, CO (4.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus (6.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying communications roles near Wheat Ridge?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying communications-related roles near Wheat Ridge are: Public Relations Manager ($174,260), Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist ($99,040), Public Relations Specialist ($82,930). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Arvada instead of Wheat Ridge?

Arvada, CO is 4.8 miles from Wheat Ridge 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 Wheat Ridge an affordable place to study communications?

Wheat Ridge’s median household income of $87,598 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wheat Ridge while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado 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 Wheat Ridge

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

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.