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Best Online Communications Programs in Prior Lake, MN (2026)
Prior Lake, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs. Prior Lake has a population of about 27,832. Median household income is $130,278 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area, the top-earning communications-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $141,360 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Communications Schools to Prior Lake
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer communications programs near Prior Lake, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Prior Lake city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
No school data available.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Minnesota schools on the Minnesota communications page.
Communications Wages Near Prior Lake
Prior Lake is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (BLS area code 33460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Minnesota statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Relations Specialist | $73,780 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $70,401 |
| Public Relations Manager | $141,360 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $134,885 |
| News Analyst, Reporter and Journalist | $49,680 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $47,405 |
| Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist | $97,910 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $93,426 |
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.
Prior Lake at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,832 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $130,278 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 51.5% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 104.8 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Prior Lake-Area Cities With Communications Programs
- Shakopee, MN – 3.8 mi away (40,610 pop)
- Savage, MN – 4.3 mi away (30,807 pop)
- Burnsville, MN – 8.4 mi away (61,290 pop)
- Eden Prairie, MN – 8.6 mi away (63,914 pop)
- Bloomington, MN – 9.6 mi away (85,319 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited communications schools are near Prior Lake, MN?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs near Prior Lake. The closest is Minneapolis College of Art and Design in Minneapolis, MN (18.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Augsburg University (19.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying communications roles near Prior Lake?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying communications-related roles near Prior Lake are: Public Relations Manager ($141,360), Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist ($97,910), Public Relations Specialist ($73,780). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Minnesota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Shakopee instead of Prior Lake?
Shakopee, MN is 3.8 miles from Prior Lake 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 Prior Lake an affordable place to study communications?
Prior Lake’s median household income of $130,278 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Prior Lake while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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
- Is a Communications degree worth it?
- Main Communications degree guide
- Online Communications programs in Minnesota
- Communications programs by state
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Data verified: August 10, 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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