Best Public Relations Schools Near Visalia, CA (2026)

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

Visalia, California is home to about 142,649 residents. Median household income is $79,952 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $167,980 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Relations Schools to Visalia

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

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, CA 147.4 miles from Visalia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 157.5 miles from Visalia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA 157.5 miles from Visalia
  • 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: 15

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

#4

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA 161.9 miles from Visalia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Santa Monica College

Santa Monica, CA 166.7 miles from Visalia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 169.5 miles from Visalia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA 172.1 miles from Visalia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California State University-Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA 180.6 miles from Visalia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • 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: 34

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 Visalia

Visalia is part of the Visalia, CA metro area (BLS area code 47300). 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$74,780Visalia, CA$74,930
Public Relations Manager$167,980CA statewide$168,317
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.

Visalia at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population142,649Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$79,952Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)99.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Visalia-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles near Visalia are: Public Relations Manager ($167,980), Public Relations Specialist ($74,780). 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 Tulare instead of Visalia?

Tulare, CA is 8.8 miles from Visalia 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 Visalia an affordable place to study public relations?

Visalia’s median household income of $79,952 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Visalia 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 Visalia

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

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 Public Relations Schools in California (2026)