Best Public Relations Schools Near Bellevue, WA (2026)

Bellevue, Washington has 6 accredited schools offering public relations programs, with tuition ranging from $4,772 to $56,721 per year for indexed programs. Bellevue has a population of about 151,199. Median household income is $161,300 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 71.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, the top-earning public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $166,590 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Public Relations Schools to Bellevue

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

Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education

Kirkland, WA 4.6 miles from Bellevue
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
33.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,914
Avg net price $35,671/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Highline College

Des Moines, WA 15.9 miles from Bellevue
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,869
Avg net price $9,879/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,772
Out‑of‑state$5,332
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Skagit Valley College

Mount Vernon, WA 58.5 miles from Bellevue
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,505
Avg net price $6,064/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA 86.0 miles from Bellevue
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
60.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,580
Avg net price $18,476/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Walla Walla University

College Place, WA 207.7 miles from Bellevue
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
67.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,885
Avg net price $23,329/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Gonzaga University

Spokane, WA 221.1 miles from Bellevue
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
76.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 82%
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,892
Avg net price $35,119/yr
Tuition
In‑state$55,480
Out‑of‑state$55,480
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Washington State University

Pullman, WA 242.2 miles from Bellevue
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
74.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,905
Avg net price $14,971/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Public Relations Wages Near Bellevue

Bellevue is part of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (BLS area code 42660). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$96,000Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$86,409
Public Relations Manager$166,590Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$149,946
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$59,340Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$53,411

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.


Bellevue at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population151,199Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$161,300Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+71.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.1 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Bellevue-Area Cities With Public Relations Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public relations schools are near Bellevue, WA?

Our directory has 6 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Bellevue. The closest is Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education in Kirkland, WA (4.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Central Washington University (86.1 miles). 6 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles near Bellevue are: Public Relations Manager ($166,590), Public Relations Specialist ($96,000), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($59,340). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Washington statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Mercer Island instead of Bellevue?

Mercer Island, WA is 4.0 miles from Bellevue 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 Bellevue an affordable place to study public relations?

Bellevue’s median household income of $161,300 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bellevue while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Washington 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 Bellevue

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

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.