Best Online Communications Programs in Bowie, MD (2026)

Bowie, Maryland has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs. Bowie has a population of about 57,771. Median household income is $141,831 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning communications-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $195,190 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Communications Schools to Bowie

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

#1

Bowie State University

Bowie, MD 4.3 miles from Bowie BOC Score 47.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,537
Avg net price $19,298/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Communications Wages Near Bowie

Bowie is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Maryland statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$101,680Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$93,370
Public Relations Manager$195,190Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$179,238
News Analyst, Reporter and Journalist$101,020Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$92,764
Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist$87,160Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$80,037

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.


Bowie at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population57,771Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$141,831Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+50.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Bowie-Area Cities With Communications Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited communications schools are near Bowie, MD?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs near Bowie. The closest is Bowie State University in Bowie, MD (4.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is The Catholic University of America (13.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying communications roles near Bowie?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying communications-related roles near Bowie are: Public Relations Manager ($195,190), Public Relations Specialist ($101,680), News Analyst, Reporter and Journalist ($101,020). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Maryland statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Greenbelt instead of Bowie?

Greenbelt, MD is 8.3 miles from Bowie 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 Bowie an affordable place to study communications?

Bowie’s median household income of $141,831 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bowie while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Maryland 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 Bowie

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.