Best Online Communications Programs in Petersburg, VA (2026)

Petersburg, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs. Petersburg has a population of about 33,365. Median household income is $50,741 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Richmond, VA metro area, the top-earning communications-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $160,540 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Communications Schools to Petersburg

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

#1

Virginia State University

Petersburg, VA 1.7 miles from Petersburg BOC Score 42.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,543
Avg net price $15,840/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Communications Wages Near Petersburg

Petersburg is part of the Richmond, VA metro area (BLS area code 40060). 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$75,730Richmond, VA$77,354
Public Relations Manager$160,540Richmond, VA$163,984
News Analyst, Reporter and Journalist$56,910Richmond, VA$58,131
Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist$81,660Richmond, VA$83,412

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.


Petersburg at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population33,365Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$50,741Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Petersburg-Area Cities With Communications Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited communications schools are near Petersburg, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs near Petersburg. The closest is Virginia State University in Petersburg, VA (1.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Richmond (27.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying communications roles near Petersburg?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying communications-related roles near Petersburg are: Public Relations Manager ($160,540), Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist ($81,660), Public Relations Specialist ($75,730). 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 Hopewell instead of Petersburg?

Hopewell, VA is 7.9 miles from Petersburg 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 Petersburg an affordable place to study communications?

Petersburg’s median household income of $50,741 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Petersburg 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 Petersburg

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

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.