Best Journalism Schools Near Winchester, KY (2026)

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

Winchester, Kentucky has 9 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $6,362 to $34,140 per year for indexed programs. Winchester has a population of about 19,133. Median household income is $57,653 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area, the top-earning journalism-related role is Public Relations Specialist at a median $62,380 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Journalism Schools to Winchester

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

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY 17.0 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
70.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,025
Avg net price $18,851/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,502
Out‑of‑state$34,140
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 76

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

#2

Asbury University

Wilmore, KY 27.4 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
51.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,368
Avg net price $21,401/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Kentucky State University

Frankfort, KY 38.9 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
40.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,382
Avg net price $8,040/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,387
Out‑of‑state$13,658
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 22

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

#4

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, KY 72.8 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
56.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,220
Avg net price $8,191/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Campbellsville University

Campbellsville, KY 78.0 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
33.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,583
Avg net price $19,341/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY 142.8 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
52.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,889
Avg net price $10,990/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Murray State University

Murray, KY 246.4 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
58.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,737
Avg net price $9,096/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Journalism Wages Near Winchester

Winchester is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area (BLS area code 30460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kentucky statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$47,530KY statewide$51,163
Editor$60,830Lexington-Fayette, KY$65,479
Public Relations Specialist$62,380Lexington-Fayette, KY$67,147

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.

Winchester at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population19,133Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$57,653Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+21.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Winchester-Area Cities With Journalism Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near Winchester, KY?

Our directory has 9 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Winchester. The closest is University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY (17.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Marshall University (100.0 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles near Winchester?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near Winchester are: Public Relations Specialist ($62,380), Editor ($60,830), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($47,530). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kentucky statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lexington instead of Winchester?

Lexington, KY is 14.9 miles from Winchester 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 Winchester an affordable place to study journalism?

Winchester’s median household income of $57,653 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Winchester while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kentucky 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 Winchester

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

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 Kentucky: Online Programs (2026)