Best Journalism Schools Near Sarasota, FL (2026)

Updated August 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Sarasota, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $2,506 to $34,408 per year for indexed programs. Sarasota has a population of about 56,218. Median household income is $70,065 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL metro area, the top-earning journalism-related role is Editor at a median $73,610 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Journalism Schools to Sarasota

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer journalism programs near Sarasota, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Sarasota 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 Sarasota. 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

The University of Tampa

Tampa, FL 42.3 miles from Sarasota
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
58.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,436
Avg net price $36,211/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,408
Out‑of‑state$34,408
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL 50.6 miles from Sarasota
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
81.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 43%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,743
Avg net price $9,812/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,410
Out‑of‑state$17,324
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Southeastern University

Lakeland, FL 61.2 miles from Sarasota
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
32.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 53%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,744
Avg net price $31,942/yr
Tuition
In‑state$32,950
Out‑of‑state$32,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Full Sail University

Winter Park, FL 115.0 miles from Sarasota
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
22.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,219
Avg net price $38,875/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 59%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL 119.7 miles from Sarasota
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
80.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,308
Avg net price $10,411/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,368
Out‑of‑state$22,467
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Florida Institute of Technology

Melbourne, FL 127.6 miles from Sarasota
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
46.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,137
Avg net price $35,639/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Palm Beach Atlantic University

West Palm Beach, FL 159.5 miles from Sarasota
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
39.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,232
Avg net price $28,354/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL 160.1 miles from Sarasota
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
93.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,588
Avg net price $6,541/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Journalism Wages Near Sarasota

Sarasota is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL metro area (BLS area code 35840). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$55,360North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$54,062
Editor$73,610North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$71,885
Public Relations Specialist$60,870North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$59,443

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.

Sarasota at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population56,218Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$70,065Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+41.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)102.4 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Sarasota-Area Cities With Journalism Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near Sarasota, FL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Sarasota. The closest is State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota in Bradenton, FL (7.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southeastern University (61.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles near Sarasota?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near Sarasota are: Editor ($73,610), Public Relations Specialist ($60,870), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($55,360). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Bradenton instead of Sarasota?

Bradenton, FL is 10.6 miles from Sarasota and has its own set of local journalism programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Sarasota an affordable place to study journalism?

Sarasota’s median household income of $70,065 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sarasota while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Journalism Programs

Other Programs Available in Sarasota

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

Data verified: August 11, 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.

Back to Best Journalism Schools in Florida: Online Programs (2026)