Best Journalism Schools Near Belton, TX (2026)

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

Belton, Texas has 5 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $2,550 to $58,100 per year for indexed programs. Belton has a population of about 23,769. Median household income is $63,544 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Killeen-Temple, TX metro area, the top-earning journalism-related role is Public Relations Specialist at a median $65,170 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Journalism Schools to Belton

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

Baylor University

Waco, TX 39.3 miles from Belton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
70.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 51%
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,793
Avg net price $41,104/yr
Tuition
In‑state$58,100
Out‑of‑state$58,100
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 51

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

#2

Austin Community College District

Austin, TX 52.4 miles from Belton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
49.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,177
Avg net price $6,390/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,550
Out‑of‑state$10,590
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 92

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

#3

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX 55.4 miles from Belton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
84.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,121
Avg net price $19,857/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Texas State University

San Marcos, TX 85.3 miles from Belton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
64.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,906
Avg net price $16,805/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX 114.6 miles from Belton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
72.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,424
Avg net price $36,660/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX 124.9 miles from Belton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
48.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,733
Avg net price $22,775/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX 129.4 miles from Belton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
41.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,675
Avg net price $16,442/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX 130.0 miles from Belton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
73.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 63%
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,354
Avg net price $40,892/yr
Tuition
In‑state$67,040
Out‑of‑state$67,040
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 39

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

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

Journalism Wages Near Belton

Belton is part of the Killeen-Temple, TX metro area (BLS area code 28660). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$48,470TX statewide$53,205
Editor$57,510Killeen-Temple, TX$63,128
Public Relations Specialist$65,170Killeen-Temple, TX$71,537

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.

Belton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population23,769Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$63,544Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+30.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Belton-Area Cities With Journalism Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near Belton, TX?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Belton. The closest is Central Texas College in Killeen, TX (20.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Texas State University (85.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles near Belton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near Belton are: Public Relations Specialist ($65,170), Editor ($57,510), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($48,470). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Temple instead of Belton?

Temple, TX is 6.3 miles from Belton 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 Belton an affordable place to study journalism?

Belton’s median household income of $63,544 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Belton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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 Belton

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

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 Texas: Online Programs (2026)