Best Journalism Schools Near Hilton Head Island, SC (2026)

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina has 2 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $5,750 to $19,043 per year for indexed programs. Hilton Head Island has a population of about 37,805. Median household income is $96,715 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 55.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In South Carolina, the top-earning journalism-related role is Public Relations Specialist at a median $62,730 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Journalism Schools to Hilton Head Island

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer journalism programs near Hilton Head Island, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Hilton Head Island 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 Hilton Head Island. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Columbia, SC 125.6 miles from Hilton Head Island
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,177
Avg net price $22,811/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Greenville University

Tigerville, SC 219.7 miles from Hilton Head Island
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
40.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,035
Avg net price $21,063/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Journalism Wages Near Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head Island is part of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area (BLS area code 25940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$47,940SC statewide$48,918
Editor$62,000SC statewide$63,265
Public Relations Specialist$62,730SC statewide$64,010

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.


Hilton Head Island at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population37,805Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$96,715Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+55.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)98.0 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Hilton Head Island-Area Cities With Journalism Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near Hilton Head Island, SC?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Hilton Head Island. The closest is Savannah State University in Savannah, GA (21.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Georgia Southern University (62.6 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles in South Carolina?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles in South Carolina are: Public Relations Specialist ($62,730), Editor ($62,000), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($47,940). Wages for Hilton Head Island workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Beaufort instead of Hilton Head Island?

Beaufort, SC is 18.1 miles from Hilton Head Island 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 Hilton Head Island an affordable place to study journalism?

Hilton Head Island’s median household income of $96,715 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hilton Head Island while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South Carolina 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 Hilton Head Island

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Hilton Head Island:

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.