Best Public Relations Schools Near Cookeville, TN (2026)

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

Cookeville, Tennessee has 10 accredited schools offering public relations programs, with tuition ranging from $3,336 to $42,540 per year for indexed programs. Cookeville has a population of about 35,544. Median household income is $48,501 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Tennessee, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $127,390 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Relations Schools to Cookeville

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

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, TN 64.5 miles from Cookeville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
52.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,378
Avg net price $16,813/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Belmont University

Nashville, TN 71.7 miles from Cookeville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
61.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,930
Avg net price $33,147/yr
Tuition
In‑state$42,540
Out‑of‑state$42,540
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN 72.0 miles from Cookeville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
62.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,541
Avg net price $24,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Lee University

Cleveland, TN 76.7 miles from Cookeville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
48.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,222
Avg net price $18,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN 80.3 miles from Cookeville
  • 4 year
45.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,723
Avg net price $24,345/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN 89.3 miles from Cookeville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
74.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,249
Avg net price $18,976/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Johnson University

Knoxville, TN 99.5 miles from Cookeville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
46.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,596
Avg net price $22,063/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, TN 181.9 miles from Cookeville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
55.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,485
Avg net price $21,574/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Relations Wages Near Cookeville

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Tennessee, statewide)
Public Relations Specialist$60,900
Public Relations Manager$127,390
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$62,390

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.

Cookeville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population35,544Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$48,501Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+35.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Cookeville-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public relations schools are near Cookeville, TN?

Our directory has 10 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Cookeville. The closest is Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN (69.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Johnson University (99.5 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public relations roles in Tennessee?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles in Tennessee are: Public Relations Manager ($127,390), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($62,390), Public Relations Specialist ($60,900). Wages for Cookeville workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Lebanon instead of Cookeville?

Lebanon, TN is 46.7 miles from Cookeville 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 Cookeville an affordable place to study public relations?

Cookeville’s median household income of $48,501 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cookeville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee 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 Cookeville

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

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 Tennessee (2026)