Best Public Relations Schools Near Lakewood, OH (2026)

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

Lakewood, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering public relations programs, with tuition ranging from $13,135 to $26,284 per year for indexed programs. Lakewood has a population of about 50,229. Median household income is $65,925 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 53.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cleveland, OH metro area, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $111,100 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Relations Schools to Lakewood

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

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH 6.7 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,131
Avg net price $14,764/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 123

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Baldwin Wallace University

Berea, OH 8.0 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,122
Avg net price $27,603/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Akron Main Campus

Akron, OH 31.9 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
48.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 60%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,600
Avg net price $13,946/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,135
Out‑of‑state$20,815
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 159

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Lake Erie College

Painesville, OH 32.7 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
39.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,417
Avg net price $20,961/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Kent State University at Kent

Kent, OH 33.2 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,388
Avg net price $20,787/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 181

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Ashland University

Ashland, OH 50.7 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
52.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 76%
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,928
Avg net price $21,988/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,210
Out‑of‑state$31,210
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Mount Union

Alliance, OH 53.6 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
53.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,217
Avg net price $23,280/yr
Tuition
In‑state$36,600
Out‑of‑state$36,600
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Heidelberg University

Tiffin, OH 75.4 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,466
Avg net price $20,556/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Relations Wages Near Lakewood

Lakewood is part of the Cleveland, OH metro area (BLS area code 17410). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$66,610Cleveland, OH$70,937
Public Relations Manager$111,100Cleveland, OH$118,317
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$48,660Cleveland, OH$51,821

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.

Lakewood at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population50,229Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$65,925Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+53.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lakewood-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public relations schools are near Lakewood, OH?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Lakewood. The closest is Cleveland State University in Cleveland, OH (6.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lake Erie College (32.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles near Lakewood are: Public Relations Manager ($111,100), Public Relations Specialist ($66,610), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($48,660). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Rocky River instead of Lakewood?

Rocky River, OH is 2.8 miles from Lakewood 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 Lakewood an affordable place to study public relations?

Lakewood’s median household income of $65,925 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lakewood while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Lakewood

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

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.

Back to Best Public Relations Schools in Ohio: Online Programs (2026)