Reading, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering public relations programs. Reading has a population of about 94,836. Median household income is $45,599 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 11.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Reading, PA metro area, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $117,980 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Public Relations Schools to Reading
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public relations programs near Reading, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Reading 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 Reading.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,775
Avg net price
$21,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 76%
- Programs offered: 56
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,096
Avg net price
$25,480/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 34
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,258
Avg net price
$23,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 103
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,295
Avg net price
$31,643/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 82%
- Programs offered: 58
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$105,584
Avg net price
$36,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 93%
- Programs offered: 95
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,655
Avg net price
$26,662/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 68%
- Programs offered: 54
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$100,423
Avg net price
$43,756/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 95%
- Programs offered: 94
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,399
Avg net price
$26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 62
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Pennsylvania schools on the Pennsylvania public relations page.
Public Relations Wages Near Reading
Reading is part of the Reading, PA metro area (BLS area code 39740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Public Relations Specialist | $51,180 | Reading, PA | $52,709 |
| Public Relations Manager | $117,980 | Reading, PA | $121,504 |
| News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist | N/A | PA 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.
Reading at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 94,836 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $45,599 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 11.7% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 97.1 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Reading-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs
- Pottstown, PA – 16.1 mi away (109,052 pop)
- Lebanon, PA – 26.1 mi away (77,839 pop)
- Pottsville, PA – 27.8 mi away (41,479 pop)
- Lancaster, PA – 28.5 mi away (401,205 pop)
- Allentown, PA – 29.6 mi away (678,169 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited public relations schools are near Reading, PA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Reading. The closest is Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in Kutztown, PA (14.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lehigh University (34.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying public relations roles near Reading?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles near Reading are: Public Relations Manager ($117,980), Public Relations Specialist ($51,180). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Pottstown instead of Reading?
Pottstown, PA is 16.1 miles from Reading 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 Reading an affordable place to study public relations?
Reading’s median household income of $45,599 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Reading while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Reading
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Reading:
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- Mental Health Counseling programs in Reading, PA
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Reading, PA
- Journalism programs in Reading, PA
- Communication Disorders programs in Reading, PA
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- Technical Communication programs in Reading, PA
- Professional Writing programs in Reading, PA
- Strategic Communications programs in Reading, PA
- Business Development programs in Reading, PA
- Construction Management programs in Reading, PA
- Economics programs in Reading, PA
- Financial Technology programs in Reading, PA
- Forensic Accounting programs in Reading, PA
- Health Information Management programs in Reading, PA
- Hospitality Management programs in Reading, PA
- International Business programs in Reading, PA
- Organizational Leadership programs in Reading, PA
- Management Information Systems programs in Reading, PA
- Nonprofit Management programs in Reading, PA
- Operations Management programs in Reading, PA
- Public Administration programs in Reading, PA
- Real Estate programs in Reading, PA
- Recreation Management programs in Reading, PA
- Retail Management programs in Reading, PA
- Risk Management programs in Reading, PA
- Statistics programs in Reading, PA
- Taxation programs in Reading, PA
- Corrections programs in Reading, PA
- Crime Analysis programs in Reading, PA
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Reading, PA
- Criminology programs in Reading, PA
- Cybercrime programs in Reading, PA
- Emergency Management programs in Reading, PA
- Fire Science programs in Reading, PA
- Forensic Science programs in Reading, PA
- Legal Services programs in Reading, PA
- Legal Studies programs in Reading, PA
- Paralegal programs in Reading, PA
- Security Management programs in Reading, PA
- Cloud Computing programs in Reading, PA
- Computer Engineering programs in Reading, PA
- Innovation programs in Reading, PA
- Mobile App Development programs in Reading, PA
- Software Development programs in Reading, PA
- User Experience programs in Reading, PA
- Web Development programs in Reading, PA
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Reading, PA
- Machine Learning programs in Reading, PA
- Supply Chain Management programs in Reading, PA
- Data Analytics programs in Reading, PA
- Public Health programs in Reading, PA
- Human Resources programs in Reading, PA
- Project Management programs in Reading, PA
- Special Education programs in Reading, PA
- Homeland Security programs in Reading, PA
- Marketing programs in Reading, PA
- Finance programs in Reading, PA
- Kinesiology programs in Reading, PA
- Sports Management programs in Reading, PA
- Early Childhood Education programs in Reading, PA
- Elementary Education programs in Reading, PA
- Biology programs in Reading, PA
- Communications programs in Reading, PA
- Graphic Design programs in Reading, PA
- Human Services programs in Reading, PA
- MBA programs in Reading, PA
- Criminal Justice programs in Reading, PA
- Nursing programs in Reading, PA
- Business Administration programs in Reading, PA
- Computer Science programs in Reading, PA
- Psychology programs in Reading, PA
- Education programs in Reading, PA
- Engineering programs in Reading, PA
- Technology programs in Reading, PA
- Liberal Arts programs in Reading, PA
- Healthcare programs in Reading, PA
- Cybersecurity programs in Reading, PA
- Accounting programs in Reading, PA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Reading, PA
- Social Work programs in Reading, PA
- Counseling programs in Reading, PA
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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