Best Journalism Schools Near Worcester, MA (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Worcester, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $46,526 to $86,285 per year for indexed programs. Worcester has a population of about 205,501. Median household income is $67,544 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Worcester, MA metro area, the top-earning journalism-related role is Public Relations Specialist at a median $75,610 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Journalism Schools to Worcester

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

Dean College

Franklin, MA 24.6 miles from Worcester
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
18.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,109
Avg net price $30,684/yr
Tuition
In‑state$46,526
Out‑of‑state$46,526
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA 36.0 miles from Worcester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
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: 174

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Boston University

Boston, MA 36.2 miles from Worcester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • 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: 228

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA 37.0 miles from Worcester
  • 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: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Northeastern University

Boston, MA 37.1 miles from Worcester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
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: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Amherst, MA 37.6 miles from Worcester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,631
Avg net price $22,383/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 166

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Emerson College

Boston, MA 38.4 miles from Worcester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • 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: 25

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Suffolk University

Boston, MA 38.6 miles from Worcester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
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: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Journalism Wages Near Worcester

Worcester is part of the Worcester, MA metro area (BLS area code 49340). 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$40,190Worcester, MA$39,210
Editor$73,950Worcester, MA$72,146
Public Relations Specialist$75,610Worcester, MA$73,766

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.

Worcester at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population205,501Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$67,544Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+34.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)102.5 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Worcester-Area Cities With Journalism Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near Worcester, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Worcester. The closest is Dean College in Franklin, MA (24.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northeastern University (37.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles near Worcester?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near Worcester are: Public Relations Specialist ($75,610), Editor ($73,950), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($40,190). 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 Marlborough instead of Worcester?

Marlborough, MA is 14.4 miles from Worcester 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 Worcester an affordable place to study journalism?

Worcester’s median household income of $67,544 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Worcester 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 Worcester

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

Data verified: August 31, 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.

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