Amherst, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering public relations programs, with tuition ranging from $58,867 to $68,432 per year for indexed programs. Amherst has a population of about 40,989. In the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $132,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Public Relations Schools to Amherst
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public relations programs near Amherst, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Amherst 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 Amherst.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,124
Avg net price
$23,274/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 63%
- Programs offered: 45
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$74,895
Avg net price
$29,498/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 43
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
40%
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,381
Avg net price
$28,714/yr
TuitionIn‑state$58,867
Out‑of‑state$58,867
Key stats- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 55
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$103,470
Avg net price
$43,071/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 94%
- Programs offered: 54
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,063
Avg net price
$33,036/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 20
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,873
Avg net price
$27,477/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 37
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,705
Avg net price
$27,511/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 49
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
98%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$101,817
Avg net price
$19,066/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 174
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Massachusetts schools on the Massachusetts public relations page.
Public Relations Wages Near Amherst
Amherst is part of the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area (BLS area code 11200). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Public Relations Specialist | $72,610 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $72,465 |
| Public Relations Manager | $132,990 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $132,725 |
| News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist | N/A | MA 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.
Amherst at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 100.2 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Amherst-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs
- Northampton, MA – 9.0 mi away (28,483 pop)
- Holyoke, MA – 12.5 mi away (40,280 pop)
- Chicopee, MA – 13.4 mi away (55,991 pop)
- Springfield, MA – 17.3 mi away (625,300 pop)
- Westfield, MA – 20.2 mi away (41,552 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited public relations schools are near Amherst, MA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Amherst. The closest is American International College in Springfield, MA (17.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Franklin Pierce University (36.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying public relations roles near Amherst?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles near Amherst are: Public Relations Manager ($132,990), Public Relations Specialist ($72,610). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Northampton instead of Amherst?
Northampton, MA is 9.0 miles from Amherst 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.
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 Amherst
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- Emergency Management programs in Amherst, MA
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- Forensic Science programs in Amherst, MA
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- Paralegal programs in Amherst, MA
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- Artificial Intelligence programs in Amherst, MA
- Machine Learning programs in Amherst, MA
- Supply Chain Management programs in Amherst, MA
- Data Analytics programs in Amherst, MA
- Public Health programs in Amherst, MA
- Human Resources programs in Amherst, MA
- Project Management programs in Amherst, MA
- Special Education programs in Amherst, MA
- Homeland Security programs in Amherst, MA
- Marketing programs in Amherst, MA
- Finance programs in Amherst, MA
- Kinesiology programs in Amherst, MA
- Sports Management programs in Amherst, MA
- Early Childhood Education programs in Amherst, MA
- Elementary Education programs in Amherst, MA
- Biology programs in Amherst, MA
- Communications programs in Amherst, MA
- Graphic Design programs in Amherst, MA
- Human Services programs in Amherst, MA
- MBA programs in Amherst, MA
- Criminal Justice programs in Amherst, MA
- Nursing programs in Amherst, MA
- Business Administration programs in Amherst, MA
- Computer Science programs in Amherst, MA
- Psychology programs in Amherst, MA
- Education programs in Amherst, MA
- Engineering programs in Amherst, MA
- Technology programs in Amherst, MA
- Liberal Arts programs in Amherst, MA
- Healthcare programs in Amherst, MA
- Cybersecurity programs in Amherst, MA
- Accounting programs in Amherst, MA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Amherst, MA
- Social Work programs in Amherst, MA
- Counseling programs in Amherst, MA
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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