Best Online Communications Programs in Richfield, MN (2026)

Richfield, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs. Richfield has a population of about 36,725. Median household income is $84,055 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.3% 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 Richfield

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

#1

Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Minneapolis, MN 5.6 miles from Richfield BOC Score 44.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,873
Avg net price $29,926/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

St Catherine University

Saint Paul, MN 5.9 miles from Richfield BOC Score 61.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,282
Avg net price $19,764/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of St Thomas

Saint Paul, MN 6.5 miles from Richfield BOC Score 73.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,739
Avg net price $29,155/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

North Central University

Minneapolis, MN 6.6 miles from Richfield BOC Score 43.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,064
Avg net price $25,817/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Augsburg University

Minneapolis, MN 6.6 miles from Richfield BOC Score 55.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,829
Avg net price $23,873/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Dunwoody College of Technology

Minneapolis, MN 6.7 miles from Richfield BOC Score 73.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,511
Avg net price $26,939/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Macalester College

Saint Paul, MN 7.0 miles from Richfield BOC Score 63.9
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,878
Avg net price $32,149/yr
Tuition
In‑state$68,104
Out‑of‑state$68,104
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN 7.3 miles from Richfield BOC Score 83.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,020
Avg net price $16,778/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 79

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Communications Wages Near Richfield

Richfield 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$73,780Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$70,401
Public Relations Manager$141,360Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$134,885
News Analyst, Reporter and Journalist$49,680Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$47,405
Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist$97,910Minneapolis-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.


Richfield at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population36,725Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$84,055Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+44.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)104.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Richfield-Area Cities With Communications Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited communications schools are near Richfield, MN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs near Richfield. The closest is Minneapolis College of Art and Design in Minneapolis, MN (5.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Augsburg University (6.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying communications roles near Richfield?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying communications-related roles near Richfield 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 Bloomington instead of Richfield?

Bloomington, MN is 3.5 miles from Richfield 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 Richfield an affordable place to study communications?

Richfield’s median household income of $84,055 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Richfield 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

Other Programs Available in Richfield

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

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.