Best Communications Schools Near Lancaster, SC (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Lancaster, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs, with tuition ranging from $21,300 to $34,923 per year for indexed programs. Lancaster has a population of about 8,738. Median household income is $43,234 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning communications-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $134,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Communications Schools to Lancaster

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Winthrop University

Rock Hill, SC 20.7 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,185
Avg net price $15,343/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Coker University

Hartsville, SC 47.0 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,117
Avg net price $20,286/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Columbia International University

Columbia, SC 47.9 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,951
Avg net price $26,036/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Columbia College

Columbia, SC 49.0 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
37.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,338
Avg net price $18,408/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Benedict College

Columbia, SC 51.1 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
16.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $31,902
Avg net price $18,250/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Columbia, SC 52.2 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,177
Avg net price $22,811/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 165

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Limestone University

Gaffney, SC 54.3 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Newberry College

Newberry, SC 56.6 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
42.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,040
Avg net price $21,656/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Communications Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist $75,190 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $77,276
Public Relations Manager $134,990 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $138,736
News Analyst, Reporter and Journalist $61,360 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $63,063
Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist $82,930 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $85,231

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.

Lancaster at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 8,738 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $43,234 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 17.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Communications Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited communications schools are near Lancaster, SC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs near Lancaster. The closest is Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC (20.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of North Carolina at Charlotte (40.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying communications roles near Lancaster?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying communications-related roles near Lancaster are: Public Relations Manager ($134,990), Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist ($82,930), Public Relations Specialist ($75,190). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Rock Hill instead of Lancaster?

Rock Hill, SC is 20.5 miles from Lancaster 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 Lancaster an affordable place to study communications?

Lancaster’s median household income of $43,234 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South Carolina 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 Lancaster

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

Data verified: September 6, 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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