Best Public Relations Schools Near Palmdale, CA (2026)

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

Palmdale, California has 5 accredited schools offering public relations programs. Palmdale has a population of about 165,487. Median household income is $81,151 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $163,830 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Relations Schools to Palmdale

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

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA 34.4 miles from Palmdale
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,677
Avg net price $22,212/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 40.9 miles from Palmdale
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,498
Avg net price $32,740/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 267

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Santa Monica College

Santa Monica, CA 45.0 miles from Palmdale
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,193
Avg net price $2,779/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Biola University

La Mirada, CA 47.8 miles from Palmdale
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,778
Avg net price $31,495/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, CA 50.9 miles from Palmdale
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,712
Avg net price $30,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State University-Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA 51.1 miles from Palmdale
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,162
Avg net price $8,615/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,449
Out‑of‑state$20,049
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA 51.5 miles from Palmdale
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,939
Avg net price $58,098/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA 56.1 miles from Palmdale
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
86.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 46%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,403
Avg net price $10,440/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 121

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California public relations page.

Public Relations Wages Near Palmdale

Palmdale is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$79,860Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$70,299
Public Relations Manager$163,830Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$144,217
News Analyst, Reporter, and JournalistN/ACA statewide–

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.

Palmdale at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population165,487Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$81,151Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+16.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Palmdale-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public relations schools are near Palmdale, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Palmdale. The closest is Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, CA (34.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California Lutheran University (50.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public relations roles near Palmdale?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles near Palmdale are: Public Relations Manager ($163,830), Public Relations Specialist ($79,860). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lancaster instead of Palmdale?

Lancaster, CA is 7.9 miles from Palmdale and has its own set of local public relations programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Palmdale an affordable place to study public relations?

Palmdale’s median household income of $81,151 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palmdale while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California 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 Public Relations Programs

Other Programs Available in Palmdale

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

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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