Best Journalism Schools Near Saint Cloud, MN (2026)

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

Saint Cloud, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $44,226 to $58,569 per year for indexed programs. Saint Cloud has a population of about 69,926. Median household income is $61,112 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the St. Cloud, MN metro area, the top-earning journalism-related role is Public Relations Specialist at a median $59,750 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Journalism Schools to Saint Cloud

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

North Central University

Minneapolis, MN 59.0 miles from Saint Cloud
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,064
Avg net price $25,817/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Bethel University

Saint Paul, MN 59.1 miles from Saint Cloud
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
68.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,764
Avg net price $28,556/yr
Tuition
In‑state$44,226
Out‑of‑state$44,226
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 79

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN 59.8 miles from Saint Cloud
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,020
Avg net price $16,778/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 250

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of St Thomas

Saint Paul, MN 62.9 miles from Saint Cloud
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,739
Avg net price $29,155/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 109

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Minnesota-Duluth

Duluth, MN 133.5 miles from Saint Cloud
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,616
Avg net price $18,743/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 94

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Minnesota State University Moorhead

Moorhead, MN 154.3 miles from Saint Cloud
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,527
Avg net price $17,997/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 83

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Concordia College at Moorhead

Moorhead, MN 154.4 miles from Saint Cloud
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
65.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 63%
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,317
Avg net price $24,902/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,170
Out‑of‑state$31,170
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Journalism Wages Near Saint Cloud

Saint Cloud is part of the St. Cloud, MN metro area (BLS area code 41060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Minnesota statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$46,490MN statewide$53,071
Editor$47,400St. Cloud, MN$54,110
Public Relations Specialist$59,750St. Cloud, MN$68,208

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.

Saint Cloud at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population69,926Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$61,112Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+29.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)87.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Saint Cloud-Area Cities With Journalism Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near Saint Cloud, MN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Saint Cloud. The closest is North Central University in Minneapolis, MN (59.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-River Falls (88.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles near Saint Cloud?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near Saint Cloud are: Public Relations Specialist ($59,750), Editor ($47,400), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($46,490). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Minnesota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Monticello instead of Saint Cloud?

Monticello, MN is 24.4 miles from Saint Cloud 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 Saint Cloud an affordable place to study journalism?

Saint Cloud’s median household income of $61,112 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Saint Cloud while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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 Saint Cloud

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

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.

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