Austin, Minnesota has 13 accredited schools offering public relations programs, with tuition ranging from $9,008 to $54,398 per year for indexed programs. Austin has a population of about 26,167. Median household income is $66,488 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Minnesota, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $139,040 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Public Relations Schools to Austin
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public relations programs near Austin, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Austin 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 Austin.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,922
Avg net price
$19,139/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 81
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,170
Avg net price
$11,704/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 76%
- Programs offered: 44
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$73,739
Avg net price
$29,155/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 55
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
79%
Graduation rate
52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,871
Avg net price
$18,462/yr
TuitionIn‑state$25,600
Out‑of‑state$25,600
Key stats- Retention rate: 67%
- Programs offered: 48
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$64,705
Avg net price
$16,863/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 43
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$69,020
Avg net price
$16,778/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 91%
- Programs offered: 79
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$50,755
Avg net price
$27,705/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 30
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,813
Avg net price
$13,529/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 69%
- Programs offered: 66
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Minnesota schools on the Minnesota public relations page.
Public Relations Wages Near Austin
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (Minnesota, statewide) |
|---|
| Public Relations Specialist | $68,620 |
| Public Relations Manager | $139,040 |
| News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist | $46,490 |
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.
Austin at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 26,167 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $66,488 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 23.2% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
Other Austin-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs
- Owatonna, MN – 31.7 mi away (25,567 pop)
- Rochester, MN – 34.3 mi away (114,976 pop)
- Mason City, IA – 37.9 mi away (26,487 pop)
- Faribault, MN – 45.9 mi away (24,012 pop)
- Northfield, MN – 55.0 mi away (22,005 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited public relations schools are near Austin, MN?
Our directory has 13 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Austin. The closest is Waldorf University in Forest City, IA (43.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Concordia University-Saint Paul (88.7 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying public relations roles in Minnesota?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles in Minnesota are: Public Relations Manager ($139,040), Public Relations Specialist ($68,620), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($46,490). Wages for Austin workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Owatonna instead of Austin?
Owatonna, MN is 31.7 miles from Austin 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 Austin an affordable place to study public relations?
Austin’s median household income of $66,488 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Austin while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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 Austin
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Austin:
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- Technical Communication programs in Austin, MN
- Professional Writing programs in Austin, MN
- Strategic Communications programs in Austin, MN
- Business Development programs in Austin, MN
- Construction Management programs in Austin, MN
- Economics programs in Austin, MN
- Financial Technology programs in Austin, MN
- Forensic Accounting programs in Austin, MN
- Health Information Management programs in Austin, MN
- Hospitality Management programs in Austin, MN
- International Business programs in Austin, MN
- Organizational Leadership programs in Austin, MN
- Management Information Systems programs in Austin, MN
- Nonprofit Management programs in Austin, MN
- Operations Management programs in Austin, MN
- Public Administration programs in Austin, MN
- Real Estate programs in Austin, MN
- Recreation Management programs in Austin, MN
- Retail Management programs in Austin, MN
- Risk Management programs in Austin, MN
- Statistics programs in Austin, MN
- Taxation programs in Austin, MN
- Corrections programs in Austin, MN
- Crime Analysis programs in Austin, MN
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Austin, MN
- Criminology programs in Austin, MN
- Cybercrime programs in Austin, MN
- Emergency Management programs in Austin, MN
- Fire Science programs in Austin, MN
- Forensic Science programs in Austin, MN
- Legal Services programs in Austin, MN
- Legal Studies programs in Austin, MN
- Paralegal programs in Austin, MN
- Security Management programs in Austin, MN
- Cloud Computing programs in Austin, MN
- Computer Engineering programs in Austin, MN
- Innovation programs in Austin, MN
- Mobile App Development programs in Austin, MN
- Software Development programs in Austin, MN
- User Experience programs in Austin, MN
- Web Development programs in Austin, MN
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Austin, MN
- Machine Learning programs in Austin, MN
- Supply Chain Management programs in Austin, MN
- Data Analytics programs in Austin, MN
- Public Health programs in Austin, MN
- Human Resources programs in Austin, MN
- Project Management programs in Austin, MN
- Special Education programs in Austin, MN
- Homeland Security programs in Austin, MN
- Marketing programs in Austin, MN
- Finance programs in Austin, MN
- Kinesiology programs in Austin, MN
- Sports Management programs in Austin, MN
- Early Childhood Education programs in Austin, MN
- Elementary Education programs in Austin, MN
- Biology programs in Austin, MN
- Communications programs in Austin, MN
- Graphic Design programs in Austin, MN
- Human Services programs in Austin, MN
- MBA programs in Austin, MN
- Criminal Justice programs in Austin, MN
- Nursing programs in Austin, MN
- Business Administration programs in Austin, MN
- Computer Science programs in Austin, MN
- Psychology programs in Austin, MN
- Education programs in Austin, MN
- Engineering programs in Austin, MN
- Technology programs in Austin, MN
- Liberal Arts programs in Austin, MN
- Healthcare programs in Austin, MN
- Cybersecurity programs in Austin, MN
- Accounting programs in Austin, MN
- Healthcare Administration programs in Austin, MN
- Social Work programs in Austin, MN
- Counseling programs in Austin, MN
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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