Best Professional Writing Schools Near Laurel, MS (2026)

Laurel, Mississippi has 3 accredited schools offering professional writing programs, with tuition ranging from $8,965 to $24,054 per year for indexed programs. Laurel has a population of about 17,129. Median household income is $37,781 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Mississippi, the top-earning professional writing-related role is Technical Writer at a median $65,220 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Professional Writing Schools to Laurel

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer professional writing programs near Laurel, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Laurel city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

No school data available.

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Mississippi schools on the Mississippi professional writing page.


Professional Writing Wages Near Laurel

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Mississippi, statewide)
Writer and Author$54,180
Technical Writer$65,220
Editor$54,380

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.


Laurel at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population17,129Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$37,781Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+20.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Laurel-Area Cities With Professional Writing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited professional writing schools are near Laurel, MS?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering professional writing programs near Laurel. The closest is Jackson State University in Jackson, MS (74.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Spring Hill College (91.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying professional writing roles in Mississippi?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying professional writing-related roles in Mississippi are: Technical Writer ($65,220), Editor ($54,380), Writer and Author ($54,180). Wages for Laurel workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Hattiesburg instead of Laurel?

Hattiesburg, MS is 28.7 miles from Laurel and has its own set of local professional writing programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Laurel an affordable place to study professional writing?

Laurel’s median household income of $37,781 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Laurel while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Mississippi 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 Professional Writing Programs

Other Programs Available in Laurel

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

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.