Auburn, Alabama is home to about 78,738 residents. Median household income is $56,123 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 62.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area, the top-earning strategic communications-related role is Marketing Manager at a median $106,300 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Strategic Communications Schools to Auburn
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer strategic communications programs near Auburn, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Auburn 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Auburn.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
77%
Graduation rate
74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,221
Avg net price
$22,420/yr
TuitionIn‑state$12,180
Out‑of‑state$34,172
Key stats- Retention rate: 88%
- Programs offered: 45
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,611
Avg net price
$22,382/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 73%
- Programs offered: 21
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,379
Avg net price
$17,648/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 76%
- Programs offered: 42
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama strategic communications page.
Strategic Communications Wages Near Auburn
Auburn is part of the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area (BLS area code 12220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Public Relations Manager | $98,210 | AL statewide | $111,729 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $63,920 | Auburn-Opelika, AL | $72,719 |
| Marketing Manager | $106,300 | Auburn-Opelika, AL | $120,933 |
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.
Auburn at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 78,738 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $56,123 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 62.8% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 87.9 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Auburn-Area Cities With Strategic Communications Programs
- Opelika, AL – 7.5 mi away (35,005 pop)
- Valley, AL – 22.8 mi away (20,441 pop)
- Phenix City, AL – 29.0 mi away (38,509 pop)
- Columbus, GA – 36.3 mi away (263,737 pop)
- LaGrange, GA – 39.1 mi away (33,564 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the highest-paying strategic communications roles near Auburn?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying strategic communications-related roles near Auburn are: Marketing Manager ($106,300), Public Relations Manager ($98,210), Public Relations Specialist ($63,920). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Opelika instead of Auburn?
Opelika, AL is 7.5 miles from Auburn and has its own set of local strategic communications programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Auburn an affordable place to study strategic communications?
Auburn’s median household income of $56,123 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Auburn while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Alabama 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 Strategic Communications Programs
Other Programs Available in Auburn
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Auburn:
- Journalism programs in Auburn, AL
- Public Relations programs in Auburn, AL
- Communication Disorders programs in Auburn, AL
- Speech Pathology programs in Auburn, AL
- Technical Communication programs in Auburn, AL
- Professional Writing programs in Auburn, AL
- Business Development programs in Auburn, AL
- Construction Management programs in Auburn, AL
- Economics programs in Auburn, AL
- Financial Technology programs in Auburn, AL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Auburn, AL
- Health Information Management programs in Auburn, AL
- Hospitality Management programs in Auburn, AL
- International Business programs in Auburn, AL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Auburn, AL
- Management Information Systems programs in Auburn, AL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Auburn, AL
- Operations Management programs in Auburn, AL
- Public Administration programs in Auburn, AL
- Real Estate programs in Auburn, AL
- Recreation Management programs in Auburn, AL
- Retail Management programs in Auburn, AL
- Risk Management programs in Auburn, AL
- Statistics programs in Auburn, AL
- Taxation programs in Auburn, AL
- Corrections programs in Auburn, AL
- Crime Analysis programs in Auburn, AL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Auburn, AL
- Criminology programs in Auburn, AL
- Cybercrime programs in Auburn, AL
- Emergency Management programs in Auburn, AL
- Fire Science programs in Auburn, AL
- Forensic Science programs in Auburn, AL
- Legal Services programs in Auburn, AL
- Legal Studies programs in Auburn, AL
- Paralegal programs in Auburn, AL
- Security Management programs in Auburn, AL
- Cloud Computing programs in Auburn, AL
- Computer Engineering programs in Auburn, AL
- Innovation programs in Auburn, AL
- Mobile App Development programs in Auburn, AL
- Software Development programs in Auburn, AL
- User Experience programs in Auburn, AL
- Web Development programs in Auburn, AL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Auburn, AL
- Machine Learning programs in Auburn, AL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Auburn, AL
- Data Analytics programs in Auburn, AL
- Public Health programs in Auburn, AL
- Human Resources programs in Auburn, AL
- Project Management programs in Auburn, AL
- Special Education programs in Auburn, AL
- Homeland Security programs in Auburn, AL
- Marketing programs in Auburn, AL
- Finance programs in Auburn, AL
- Kinesiology programs in Auburn, AL
- Sports Management programs in Auburn, AL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Auburn, AL
- Elementary Education programs in Auburn, AL
- Biology programs in Auburn, AL
- Communications programs in Auburn, AL
- Graphic Design programs in Auburn, AL
- Human Services programs in Auburn, AL
- MBA programs in Auburn, AL
- Criminal Justice programs in Auburn, AL
- Nursing programs in Auburn, AL
- Business Administration programs in Auburn, AL
- Computer Science programs in Auburn, AL
- Psychology programs in Auburn, AL
- Education programs in Auburn, AL
- Engineering programs in Auburn, AL
- Technology programs in Auburn, AL
- Liberal Arts programs in Auburn, AL
- Healthcare programs in Auburn, AL
- Cybersecurity programs in Auburn, AL
- Accounting programs in Auburn, AL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Auburn, AL
- Social Work programs in Auburn, AL
- Counseling programs in Auburn, AL
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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