Best Public Relations Schools Near Florence, SC (2026)

Florence, South Carolina has 9 accredited schools offering public relations programs, with tuition ranging from $11,640 to $45,846 per year for indexed programs. Florence has a population of about 40,205. Median household income is $56,433 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Florence, SC metro area, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $97,940 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Public Relations Schools to Florence

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public relations programs near Florence, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Florence 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 Florence. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Coastal Carolina University

Conway, SC 51.5 miles from Florence
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,258
Avg net price $13,966/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Columbia, SC 72.2 miles from Florence
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,177
Avg net price $22,811/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Winthrop University

Rock Hill, SC 88.2 miles from Florence
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
53.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,185
Avg net price $15,343/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

College of Charleston

Charleston, SC 96.8 miles from Florence
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,416
Avg net price $18,960/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Clemson University

Clemson, SC 174.6 miles from Florence
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
80.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,513
Avg net price $22,253/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Public Relations Wages Near Florence

Florence is part of the Florence, SC metro area (BLS area code 22500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$49,820Florence, SC$57,396
Public Relations Manager$97,940Florence, SC$112,834
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$47,940SC statewide$55,230

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.


Florence at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population40,205Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$56,433Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+29.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)86.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Florence-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public relations schools are near Florence, SC?

Our directory has 9 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Florence. The closest is Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC (51.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is College of Charleston (96.7 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles near Florence are: Public Relations Manager ($97,940), Public Relations Specialist ($49,820), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($47,940). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Sumter instead of Florence?

Sumter, SC is 38.5 miles from Florence 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 Florence an affordable place to study public relations?

Florence’s median household income of $56,433 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Florence while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South 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 Florence

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.