Best Public Relations Schools Near Wilkes-Barre, PA (2026)

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

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania has 35 accredited schools offering public relations programs, with tuition ranging from $6,600 to $64,980 per year for indexed programs. Wilkes-Barre has a population of about 44,217. Median household income is $47,970 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $99,650 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Relations Schools to Wilkes-Barre

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

Scranton, PA 15.8 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
72.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,652
Avg net price $32,568/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, PA 34.4 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
56.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,416
Avg net price $15,699/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, PA 40.4 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
51.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,148
Avg net price $18,134/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA 51.2 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
78.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $105,584
Avg net price $36,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Susquehanna University

Selinsgrove, PA 60.7 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 4 year
58.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,723
Avg net price $28,819/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, PA 63.2 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
53.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,775
Avg net price $21,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Lancaster Bible College

Lancaster, PA 83.9 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
48.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,096
Avg net price $25,480/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, PA 84.7 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
68.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,399
Avg net price $26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Relations Wages Near Wilkes-Barre

Wilkes-Barre is part of the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area (BLS area code 42540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$51,730Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$55,267
Public Relations Manager$99,650Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$106,464
News Analyst, Reporter, and JournalistN/APA 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.

Wilkes-Barre at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population44,217Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$47,970Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+19.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Wilkes-Barre-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public relations schools are near Wilkes-Barre, PA?

Our directory has 35 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Wilkes-Barre. The closest is Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke, PA (7.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Susquehanna University (60.6 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public relations roles near Wilkes-Barre?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles near Wilkes-Barre are: Public Relations Manager ($99,650), Public Relations Specialist ($51,730). 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 Scranton instead of Wilkes-Barre?

Scranton, PA is 15.4 miles from Wilkes-Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre an affordable place to study public relations?

Wilkes-Barre’s median household income of $47,970 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wilkes-Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre

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

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.

Back to Best Public Relations Schools in Pennsylvania (2026)