Best Public Relations Schools Near Stockton, CA (2026)

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

Stockton, California has 4 accredited schools offering public relations programs, with tuition ranging from $16,005 to $50,205 per year for indexed programs. Stockton has a population of about 320,470. Median household income is $76,851 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Stockton-Lodi, CA metro area, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $126,360 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Relations Schools to Stockton

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

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 54.1 miles from Stockton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,988
Avg net price $13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 63.7 miles from Stockton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,812
Avg net price $41,431/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Pacific Union College

Angwin, CA 73.7 miles from Stockton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,484
Avg net price $41,008/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA 79.2 miles from Stockton
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
71.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 66%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,396
Avg net price $17,890/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,005
Out‑of‑state$50,205
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 81

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

#5

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, CA 292.6 miles from Stockton
  • 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

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA 308.6 miles from Stockton
  • 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

#7

Santa Monica College

Santa Monica, CA 316.3 miles from Stockton
  • 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

#8

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 321.4 miles from Stockton
  • 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

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

Public Relations Wages Near Stockton

Stockton is part of the Stockton-Lodi, CA metro area (BLS area code 44700). 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$77,710Stockton-Lodi, CA$73,939
Public Relations Manager$126,360Stockton-Lodi, CA$120,228
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.

Stockton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population320,470Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$76,851Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+19.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)105.1 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Stockton-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Stockton. The closest is San Jose State University in San Jose, CA (54.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of California-Santa Cruz (79.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles near Stockton are: Public Relations Manager ($126,360), Public Relations Specialist ($77,710). 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 Lodi instead of Stockton?

Lodi, CA is 10.1 miles from Stockton 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 Stockton an affordable place to study public relations?

Stockton’s median household income of $76,851 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Stockton 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 Stockton

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

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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