Best Journalism Schools Near New Bedford, MA (2026)

New Bedford, Massachusetts has 17 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $11,300 to $68,102 per year for indexed programs. New Bedford has a population of about 100,731. Median household income is $56,025 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area, the top-earning journalism-related role is Public Relations Specialist at a median $77,210 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Journalism Schools to New Bedford

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

Eastern Nazarene College

Quincy, MA 41.8 miles from New Bedford
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Emerson College

Boston, MA 45.5 miles from New Bedford
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
67.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 51%
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,832
Avg net price $49,180/yr
Tuition
In‑state$57,056
Out‑of‑state$57,056
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Northeastern University

Boston, MA 46.9 miles from New Bedford
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
80.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
Avg net price $30,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Boston University

Boston, MA 47.7 miles from New Bedford
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
81.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $83,238
Avg net price $24,402/yr
Tuition
In‑state$68,102
Out‑of‑state$68,102
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Suffolk University

Boston, MA 47.9 miles from New Bedford
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,506
Avg net price $29,618/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA 48.3 miles from New Bedford
  • 4 year
79.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $143,372
Avg net price $20,111/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA 49.5 miles from New Bedford
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
90.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 98%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $101,817
Avg net price $19,066/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Salem State University

Salem, MA 57.7 miles from New Bedford
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
62.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,662
Avg net price $15,996/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Journalism Wages Near New Bedford

New Bedford is part of the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area (BLS area code 39300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$63,430Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$62,308
Editor$76,180Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$74,833
Public Relations Specialist$77,210Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$75,845

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.


New Bedford at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population100,731Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$56,025Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+16.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)101.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other New Bedford-Area Cities With Journalism Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near New Bedford, MA?

Our directory has 17 accredited schools offering journalism programs near New Bedford. The closest is Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI (16.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Massachusetts Institute of Technology (48.3 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles near New Bedford?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near New Bedford are: Public Relations Specialist ($77,210), Editor ($76,180), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($63,430). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Fall River instead of New Bedford?

Fall River, MA is 8.7 miles from New Bedford 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 New Bedford an affordable place to study journalism?

New Bedford’s median household income of $56,025 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in New Bedford while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 New Bedford

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

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.