Carbondale, Illinois has 13 accredited schools offering public relations programs, with tuition ranging from $9,900 to $65,790 per year for indexed programs. Carbondale has a population of about 21,813. Median household income is $29,670 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 46.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $131,990 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Public Relations Schools to Carbondale
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public relations programs near Carbondale, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Carbondale 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Carbondale.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,572
Avg net price
$24,717/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 68%
- Programs offered: 25
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,989
Avg net price
$12,786/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 40
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,575
Avg net price
$18,298/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 15
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$81,054
Avg net price
$14,355/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 95%
- Programs offered: 57
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
88%
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,117
Avg net price
$19,398/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,144
Out‑of‑state$28,210
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 66
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,852
Avg net price
$22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 52
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,110
Avg net price
$17,133/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 13
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,213
Avg net price
$20,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 69%
- Programs offered: 43
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois public relations page.
Public Relations Wages Near Carbondale
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (Illinois, statewide) |
|---|
| Public Relations Specialist | $76,380 |
| Public Relations Manager | $131,990 |
| News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist | $60,590 |
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.
Carbondale at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 21,813 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $29,670 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 46.3% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
Other Carbondale-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs
- Cape Girardeau, MO – 33.9 mi away (55,253 pop)
- Paducah, KY – 55.1 mi away (49,027 pop)
- Farmington, MO – 66.0 mi away (44,494 pop)
- Belleville, IL – 68.7 mi away (41,906 pop)
- O’Fallon, IL – 71.2 mi away (29,031 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited public relations schools are near Carbondale, IL?
Our directory has 13 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Carbondale. The closest is Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, MO (33.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Wabash Valley College (92.5 miles). 10 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying public relations roles in Illinois?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles in Illinois are: Public Relations Manager ($131,990), Public Relations Specialist ($76,380), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($60,590). Wages for Carbondale workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Cape Girardeau instead of Carbondale?
Cape Girardeau, MO is 33.9 miles from Carbondale 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 Carbondale an affordable place to study public relations?
Carbondale’s median household income of $29,670 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Carbondale while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Carbondale
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Carbondale:
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- Business Development programs in Carbondale, IL
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- Forensic Accounting programs in Carbondale, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Carbondale, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Carbondale, IL
- International Business programs in Carbondale, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Carbondale, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Carbondale, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Carbondale, IL
- Operations Management programs in Carbondale, IL
- Public Administration programs in Carbondale, IL
- Real Estate programs in Carbondale, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Carbondale, IL
- Retail Management programs in Carbondale, IL
- Risk Management programs in Carbondale, IL
- Statistics programs in Carbondale, IL
- Taxation programs in Carbondale, IL
- Corrections programs in Carbondale, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Carbondale, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Carbondale, IL
- Criminology programs in Carbondale, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Carbondale, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Carbondale, IL
- Fire Science programs in Carbondale, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Carbondale, IL
- Legal Services programs in Carbondale, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Carbondale, IL
- Paralegal programs in Carbondale, IL
- Security Management programs in Carbondale, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Carbondale, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Carbondale, IL
- Innovation programs in Carbondale, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Carbondale, IL
- Software Development programs in Carbondale, IL
- User Experience programs in Carbondale, IL
- Web Development programs in Carbondale, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Carbondale, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Carbondale, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Carbondale, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Carbondale, IL
- Public Health programs in Carbondale, IL
- Human Resources programs in Carbondale, IL
- Project Management programs in Carbondale, IL
- Special Education programs in Carbondale, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Carbondale, IL
- Marketing programs in Carbondale, IL
- Finance programs in Carbondale, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Carbondale, IL
- Sports Management programs in Carbondale, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Carbondale, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Carbondale, IL
- Biology programs in Carbondale, IL
- Communications programs in Carbondale, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Carbondale, IL
- Human Services programs in Carbondale, IL
- MBA programs in Carbondale, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Carbondale, IL
- Nursing programs in Carbondale, IL
- Business Administration programs in Carbondale, IL
- Computer Science programs in Carbondale, IL
- Psychology programs in Carbondale, IL
- Education programs in Carbondale, IL
- Engineering programs in Carbondale, IL
- Technology programs in Carbondale, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Carbondale, IL
- Healthcare programs in Carbondale, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Carbondale, IL
- Accounting programs in Carbondale, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Carbondale, IL
- Social Work programs in Carbondale, IL
- Counseling programs in Carbondale, IL
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.
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