Best Online Communications Programs in Alexandria, VA (2026)

Alexandria, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs, with tuition ranging from $35,810 to $88,741 per year for indexed programs. Alexandria has a population of about 156,788. Median household income is $113,638 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 65.8% 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 Alexandria

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

#1

Marymount University

Arlington, VA 6.3 miles from Alexandria BOC Score 61.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,516
Avg net price $29,137/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 11.8 miles from Alexandria BOC Score 81.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,343
Avg net price $17,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Patrick Henry College

Purcellville, VA 39.3 miles from Alexandria BOC Score 62.7
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 69%
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, VA 41.2 miles from Alexandria BOC Score 60.4
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,613
Avg net price $20,667/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Shenandoah University

Winchester, VA 62.4 miles from Alexandria BOC Score 59.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,433
Avg net price $30,298/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Randolph-Macon College

Ashland, VA 76.1 miles from Alexandria BOC Score 54.8
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,448
Avg net price $27,866/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Virginia Union University

Richmond, VA 89.2 miles from Alexandria BOC Score 37.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,275
Avg net price $13,235/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA 89.3 miles from Alexandria BOC Score 76.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,178
Avg net price $31,309/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Communications Wages Near Alexandria

Alexandria 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 Virginia 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.


Alexandria at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population156,788Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$113,638Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+65.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited communications schools are near Alexandria, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs near Alexandria. The closest is Georgetown University in Washington, DC (6.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Howard University (8.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying communications roles near Alexandria?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying communications-related roles near Alexandria 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 Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Washington instead of Alexandria?

Washington, DC is 7.0 miles from Alexandria 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 Alexandria an affordable place to study communications?

Alexandria’s median household income of $113,638 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Alexandria while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Alexandria

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

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.