Best Public Relations Schools Near Charlottesville, VA (2026)

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

Charlottesville, Virginia has 7 accredited schools offering public relations programs, with tuition ranging from $10,043 to $68,045 per year for indexed programs. Charlottesville has a population of about 45,863. Median household income is $69,829 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 60.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlottesville, VA metro area, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $140,170 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Relations Schools to Charlottesville

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

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, VA 55.1 miles from Charlottesville
  • 4 year
74.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $94,810
Avg net price $23,781/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA 60.8 miles from Charlottesville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
35.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,813
Avg net price $29,357/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Virginia State University

Petersburg, VA 81.5 miles from Charlottesville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
42.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,543
Avg net price $15,840/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 84.1 miles from Charlottesville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
81.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,343
Avg net price $17,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Averett University

Danville, VA 113.0 miles from Charlottesville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
39.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 57%
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,516
Avg net price $22,925/yr
Tuition
In‑state$38,550
Out‑of‑state$38,550
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 27

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

#6

Hampton University

Hampton, VA 137.1 miles from Charlottesville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
55.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,159
Avg net price $25,319/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Regent University

Virginia Beach, VA 152.1 miles from Charlottesville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
34.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 38%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,498
Avg net price $19,923/yr
Tuition
In‑state$21,650
Out‑of‑state$21,650
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 44

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

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

Public Relations Wages Near Charlottesville

Charlottesville is part of the Charlottesville, VA metro area (BLS area code 16820). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$76,580Charlottesville, VA$77,275
Public Relations Manager$140,170Charlottesville, VA$141,443
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$51,310Charlottesville, VA$51,776

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.

Charlottesville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population45,863Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$69,829Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+60.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)99.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Charlottesville-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public relations schools are near Charlottesville, VA?

Our directory has 7 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Charlottesville. The closest is Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA (54.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is George Washington University (97.9 miles). 6 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles near Charlottesville are: Public Relations Manager ($140,170), Public Relations Specialist ($76,580), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($51,310). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Waynesboro instead of Charlottesville?

Waynesboro, VA is 22.7 miles from Charlottesville 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 Charlottesville an affordable place to study public relations?

Charlottesville’s median household income of $69,829 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Charlottesville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Charlottesville

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

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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