Best Public Relations Schools Near Jacksonville, NC (2026)

Updated August 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Jacksonville, North Carolina has 4 accredited schools offering public relations programs, with tuition ranging from $7,277 to $41,600 per year for indexed programs. Jacksonville has a population of about 73,507. Median household income is $54,069 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In North Carolina, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $132,280 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Relations Schools to Jacksonville

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

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Wilmington, NC 44.2 miles from Jacksonville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
69.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,967
Avg net price $20,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Mount Olive

Mount Olive, NC 50.4 miles from Jacksonville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
48.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,139
Avg net price $18,853/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Campbell University

Buies Creek, NC 89.2 miles from Jacksonville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
46.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,886
Avg net price $24,516/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

William Peace University

Raleigh, NC 101.2 miles from Jacksonville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
38.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,643
Avg net price $21,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC 102.0 miles from Jacksonville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
84.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,758
Avg net price $17,303/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC 103.7 miles from Jacksonville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
59.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,539
Avg net price $22,488/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Elon University

Elon, NC 151.2 miles from Jacksonville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,545
Avg net price $41,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

High Point University

High Point, NC 171.4 miles from Jacksonville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
62.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,389
Avg net price $38,707/yr
Tuition
In‑state$45,312
Out‑of‑state$45,312
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Relations Wages Near Jacksonville

Jacksonville is part of the Jacksonville, NC metro area (BLS area code 27340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$61,050Jacksonville, NC$66,287
Public Relations Manager$132,280NC statewide$143,626
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$58,670NC statewide$63,702

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.

Jacksonville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population73,507Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$54,069Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Jacksonville-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public relations schools are near Jacksonville, NC?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Jacksonville. The closest is University of North Carolina Wilmington in Wilmington, NC (44.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Campbell University (89.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles near Jacksonville are: Public Relations Manager ($132,280), Public Relations Specialist ($61,050), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($58,670). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Havelock instead of Jacksonville?

Havelock, NC is 30.7 miles from Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville an affordable place to study public relations?

Jacksonville’s median household income of $54,069 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Jacksonville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Jacksonville

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

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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