Best Public Relations Schools Near Rochester, MN (2026)

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

Rochester, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering public relations programs. Rochester has a population of about 121,638. Median household income is $87,767 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.1% 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 Rochester

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

Winona State University

Winona, MN 41.5 miles from Rochester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,532
Avg net price $17,503/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, MN 71.4 miles from Rochester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,705
Avg net price $16,863/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Concordia University-Saint Paul

Saint Paul, MN 72.7 miles from Rochester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 79%
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,871
Avg net price $18,462/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,600
Out‑of‑state$25,600
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of St Thomas

Saint Paul, MN 73.1 miles from Rochester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,739
Avg net price $29,155/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 109

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Bethany Lutheran College

Mankato, MN 75.8 miles from Rochester
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
39.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 39%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,110
Avg net price $20,148/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,360
Out‑of‑state$31,360
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN 76.0 miles from Rochester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,020
Avg net price $16,778/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 250

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Minnesota State University-Mankato

Mankato, MN 76.1 miles from Rochester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,922
Avg net price $19,139/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 142

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Northwestern-St Paul

Saint Paul, MN 78.2 miles from Rochester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,755
Avg net price $27,705/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Relations Wages Near Rochester

Rochester is part of the Rochester, MN metro area (BLS area code 40340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Minnesota statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$74,830Rochester, MN$82,412
Public Relations Manager$139,040MN statewide$153,128
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$46,490MN statewide$51,200

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.

Rochester at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population121,638Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$87,767Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+50.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)90.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Rochester-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public relations schools are near Rochester, MN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Rochester. The closest is Winona State University in Winona, MN (41.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (72.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles near Rochester are: Public Relations Manager ($139,040), Public Relations Specialist ($74,830), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($46,490). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Minnesota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Austin instead of Rochester?

Austin, MN is 34.3 miles from Rochester 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 Rochester an affordable place to study public relations?

Rochester’s median household income of $87,767 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rochester 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 Rochester

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

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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