Best Strategic Communications Schools Near Tampa, FL (2026)

Tampa, Florida has 8 accredited schools offering strategic communications programs, with tuition ranging from $6,368 to $44,040 per year for indexed programs. Tampa has a population of about 393,389. Median household income is $71,302 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area, the top-earning strategic communications-related role is Marketing Manager at a median $159,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Strategic Communications Schools to Tampa

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

The University of Tampa

Tampa, FL 3.4 miles from Tampa
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
58.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,436
Avg net price $36,211/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,408
Out‑of‑state$34,408
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 36

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

#2

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL 5.1 miles from Tampa
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
81.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 43%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,743
Avg net price $9,812/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,410
Out‑of‑state$17,324
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 63

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

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Florida schools on the Florida strategic communications page.


Strategic Communications Wages Near Tampa

Tampa is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area (BLS area code 45300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Manager$132,340Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL$131,160
Public Relations Specialist$64,690Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL$64,113
Marketing Manager$159,990Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL$158,563

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.


Tampa at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population393,389Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$71,302Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+44.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)100.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Tampa-Area Cities With Strategic Communications Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited strategic communications schools are near Tampa, FL?

Our directory has 8 accredited schools offering strategic communications programs near Tampa. The closest is The University of Tampa in Tampa, FL (3.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Central Florida (86.6 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying strategic communications roles near Tampa?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying strategic communications-related roles near Tampa are: Marketing Manager ($159,990), Public Relations Manager ($132,340), Public Relations Specialist ($64,690). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Temple Terrace instead of Tampa?

Temple Terrace, FL is 5.4 miles from Tampa 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 Tampa an affordable place to study strategic communications?

Tampa’s median household income of $71,302 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Tampa while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Tampa

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

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.