Merrillville, Indiana has 26 accredited schools offering public relations programs, with tuition ranging from $20,605 to $70,662 per year for indexed programs. Merrillville has a population of about 36,343. Median household income is $64,791 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $133,210 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Public Relations Schools to Merrillville
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public relations programs near Merrillville, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Merrillville 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 Merrillville.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,191
Avg net price
$18,578/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 37
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$36,596
Avg net price
$7,770/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 43%
- Programs offered: 69
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,504
Avg net price
$18,805/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 69%
- Programs offered: 23
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
76%
Graduation rate
66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$46,672
Avg net price
$19,310/yr
TuitionIn‑state$31,870
Out‑of‑state$31,870
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 30
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,986
Avg net price
$16,898/yr
TuitionIn‑state$8,208
Out‑of‑state$8,208
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,986
Avg net price
$22,866/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 38
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,362
Avg net price
$18,196/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 68%
- Programs offered: 34
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,198
Avg net price
$24,865/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 90%
- Programs offered: 29
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Indiana schools on the Indiana public relations page.
Public Relations Wages Near Merrillville
Merrillville is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Public Relations Specialist | $77,050 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $74,373 |
| Public Relations Manager | $133,210 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $128,581 |
| News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist | $70,350 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $67,905 |
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.
Merrillville at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 36,343 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $64,791 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 25.2% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Merrillville-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs
- Hobart, IN – 3.7 mi away (28,248 pop)
- Crown Point, IN – 4.3 mi away (29,176 pop)
- Schererville, IN – 6.5 mi away (28,701 pop)
- Gary, IN – 8.3 mi away (76,424 pop)
- Highland, IN – 8.9 mi away (22,737 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited public relations schools are near Merrillville, IN?
Our directory has 26 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Merrillville. The closest is Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, IN (14.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Olivet Nazarene University (36.2 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying public relations roles near Merrillville?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles near Merrillville are: Public Relations Manager ($133,210), Public Relations Specialist ($77,050), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($70,350). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Hobart instead of Merrillville?
Hobart, IN is 3.7 miles from Merrillville 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 Merrillville an affordable place to study public relations?
Merrillville’s median household income of $64,791 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Merrillville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Indiana 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 Merrillville
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Merrillville:
- Journalism programs in Merrillville, IN
- Communication Disorders programs in Merrillville, IN
- Speech Pathology programs in Merrillville, IN
- Technical Communication programs in Merrillville, IN
- Professional Writing programs in Merrillville, IN
- Strategic Communications programs in Merrillville, IN
- Business Development programs in Merrillville, IN
- Construction Management programs in Merrillville, IN
- Economics programs in Merrillville, IN
- Financial Technology programs in Merrillville, IN
- Forensic Accounting programs in Merrillville, IN
- Health Information Management programs in Merrillville, IN
- Hospitality Management programs in Merrillville, IN
- International Business programs in Merrillville, IN
- Organizational Leadership programs in Merrillville, IN
- Management Information Systems programs in Merrillville, IN
- Nonprofit Management programs in Merrillville, IN
- Operations Management programs in Merrillville, IN
- Public Administration programs in Merrillville, IN
- Real Estate programs in Merrillville, IN
- Recreation Management programs in Merrillville, IN
- Retail Management programs in Merrillville, IN
- Risk Management programs in Merrillville, IN
- Statistics programs in Merrillville, IN
- Taxation programs in Merrillville, IN
- Corrections programs in Merrillville, IN
- Crime Analysis programs in Merrillville, IN
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Merrillville, IN
- Criminology programs in Merrillville, IN
- Cybercrime programs in Merrillville, IN
- Emergency Management programs in Merrillville, IN
- Fire Science programs in Merrillville, IN
- Forensic Science programs in Merrillville, IN
- Legal Services programs in Merrillville, IN
- Legal Studies programs in Merrillville, IN
- Paralegal programs in Merrillville, IN
- Security Management programs in Merrillville, IN
- Cloud Computing programs in Merrillville, IN
- Computer Engineering programs in Merrillville, IN
- Innovation programs in Merrillville, IN
- Mobile App Development programs in Merrillville, IN
- Software Development programs in Merrillville, IN
- User Experience programs in Merrillville, IN
- Web Development programs in Merrillville, IN
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Merrillville, IN
- Machine Learning programs in Merrillville, IN
- Supply Chain Management programs in Merrillville, IN
- Data Analytics programs in Merrillville, IN
- Public Health programs in Merrillville, IN
- Human Resources programs in Merrillville, IN
- Project Management programs in Merrillville, IN
- Special Education programs in Merrillville, IN
- Homeland Security programs in Merrillville, IN
- Marketing programs in Merrillville, IN
- Finance programs in Merrillville, IN
- Kinesiology programs in Merrillville, IN
- Sports Management programs in Merrillville, IN
- Early Childhood Education programs in Merrillville, IN
- Elementary Education programs in Merrillville, IN
- Biology programs in Merrillville, IN
- Communications programs in Merrillville, IN
- Graphic Design programs in Merrillville, IN
- Human Services programs in Merrillville, IN
- MBA programs in Merrillville, IN
- Criminal Justice programs in Merrillville, IN
- Nursing programs in Merrillville, IN
- Business Administration programs in Merrillville, IN
- Computer Science programs in Merrillville, IN
- Psychology programs in Merrillville, IN
- Education programs in Merrillville, IN
- Engineering programs in Merrillville, IN
- Technology programs in Merrillville, IN
- Liberal Arts programs in Merrillville, IN
- Healthcare programs in Merrillville, IN
- Cybersecurity programs in Merrillville, IN
- Accounting programs in Merrillville, IN
- Healthcare Administration programs in Merrillville, IN
- Social Work programs in Merrillville, IN
- Counseling programs in Merrillville, IN
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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