Best Public Relations Schools Near Gainesville, GA (2026)

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

Gainesville, Georgia has 5 accredited schools offering public relations programs. Gainesville has a population of about 44,051. Median household income is $64,636 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Georgia, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $134,500 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Relations Schools to Gainesville

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

Piedmont University

Demorest, GA 25.1 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,130
Avg net price $20,599/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Georgia

Athens, GA 34.8 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
88.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,726
Avg net price $13,936/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 241

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Oglethorpe University

Atlanta, GA 40.7 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
42.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,232
Avg net price $19,509/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, GA 46.4 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,552
Avg net price $15,048/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 116

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Morehouse College

Atlanta, GA 50.4 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,889
Avg net price $39,013/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Dalton State College

Dalton, GA 74.7 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,251
Avg net price $5,012/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Wesleyan College

Macon, GA 97.9 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
54.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 59%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,317
Avg net price $12,724/yr
Tuition
In‑state$27,650
Out‑of‑state$27,650
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 21

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

#8

Mercer University

Macon, GA 101.5 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,354
Avg net price $23,847/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 114

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Relations Wages Near Gainesville

Gainesville is part of the Gainesville, GA metro area (BLS area code 23580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Georgia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$59,990Gainesville, GA$61,973
Public Relations Manager$134,500GA statewide$138,946
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$81,910GA statewide$84,618

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.

Gainesville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population44,051Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$64,636Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+26.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Gainesville-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public relations schools are near Gainesville, GA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Gainesville. The closest is Piedmont University in Demorest, GA (25.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Morehouse College (50.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles near Gainesville are: Public Relations Manager ($134,500), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($81,910), Public Relations Specialist ($59,990). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Georgia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Sugar Hill instead of Gainesville?

Sugar Hill, GA is 18.0 miles from Gainesville 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 Gainesville an affordable place to study public relations?

Gainesville’s median household income of $64,636 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gainesville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Georgia 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 Gainesville

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

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.

Back to Best Public Relations Schools in Georgia (2026)