Best Public Relations Schools Near Newport, RI (2026)

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

Newport, Rhode Island has 31 accredited schools offering public relations programs, with tuition ranging from $5,550 to $63,550 per year for indexed programs. Newport has a population of about 25,029. Median household income is $83,562 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 55.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $146,370 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Relations Schools to Newport

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

Kingston, RI 11.1 miles from Newport
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
74.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 72%
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,743
Avg net price $21,440/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,942
Out‑of‑state$37,146
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Roger Williams University

Bristol, RI 11.9 miles from Newport
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
58.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,266
Avg net price $37,999/yr
Tuition
In‑state$44,418
Out‑of‑state$44,418
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Community College of Rhode Island

Warwick, RI 18.1 miles from Newport
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
51.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,659
Avg net price $6,513/yr
Tuition
In‑state$5,550
Out‑of‑state$14,834
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Johnson & Wales University-Providence

Providence, RI 24.4 miles from Newport
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
33.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,418
Avg net price $31,027/yr
Tuition
In‑state$42,419
Out‑of‑state$42,419
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Johnson & Wales University-Online

Providence, RI 24.4 miles from Newport
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
28.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,418
Avg net price $20,252/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Providence College

Providence, RI 25.8 miles from Newport
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
75.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 51%
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $87,054
Avg net price $48,523/yr
Tuition
In‑state$63,550
Out‑of‑state$63,550
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Rhode Island College

Providence, RI 26.0 miles from Newport
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
60.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,318
Avg net price $9,478/yr
Tuition
In‑state$11,300
Out‑of‑state$27,299
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Relations Wages Near Newport

Newport is part of the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area (BLS area code 39300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Rhode Island statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$77,210Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$75,845
Public Relations Manager$146,370Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$143,782
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$63,430Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$62,308

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.

Newport at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population25,029Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$83,562Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+55.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)101.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Newport-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public relations schools are near Newport, RI?

Our directory has 31 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Newport. The closest is University of Rhode Island in Kingston, RI (10.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lasell University (59.7 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles near Newport are: Public Relations Manager ($146,370), Public Relations Specialist ($77,210), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($63,430). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Rhode Island statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Warwick instead of Newport?

Warwick, RI is 16.7 miles from Newport 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 Newport an affordable place to study public relations?

Newport’s median household income of $83,562 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Newport while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Rhode Island 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 Newport

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

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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