Best Public Relations Schools Near Herndon, VA (2026)

Herndon, Virginia has 19 accredited schools offering public relations programs, with tuition ranging from $8,136 to $68,017 per year for indexed programs. Herndon has a population of about 24,529. Median household income is $141,418 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $195,190 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Public Relations Schools to Herndon

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

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

Sort:
#1

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 10.8 miles from Herndon
  • 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

#2

Virginia State University

Petersburg, VA 120.4 miles from Herndon
  • 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

#3

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, VA 138.2 miles from Herndon
  • 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

#4

Hampton University

Hampton, VA 146.2 miles from Herndon
  • 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

#5

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA 148.3 miles from Herndon
  • 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

#6

Regent University

Virginia Beach, VA 163.5 miles from Herndon
  • 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

#7

Averett University

Danville, VA 198.9 miles from Herndon
  • 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

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


Public Relations Wages Near Herndon

Herndon is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). 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$101,680Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$93,370
Public Relations Manager$195,190Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$179,238
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$101,020Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$92,764

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.


Herndon at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population24,529Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$141,418Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+50.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Herndon-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 19 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Herndon. The closest is George Mason University in Fairfax, VA (10.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Notre Dame of Maryland University (48.8 miles). 10 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles near Herndon are: Public Relations Manager ($195,190), Public Relations Specialist ($101,680), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($101,020). 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 Fairfax instead of Herndon?

Fairfax, VA is 9.3 miles from Herndon 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 Herndon an affordable place to study public relations?

Herndon’s median household income of $141,418 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Herndon 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 Herndon

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

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.