Strategic Communications Schools Near New Bedford, MA (2026)

New Bedford, Massachusetts has 17 accredited schools offering strategic communications programs, with tuition ranging from $11,300 to $68,102 per year for indexed programs. New Bedford has a population of about 100,731. Median household income is $56,025 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Massachusetts, the top-earning strategic communications-related role is Marketing Manager at a median $212,020 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Strategic Communications Schools to New Bedford

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

Curry College

Milton, MA 40.4 miles from New Bedford
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
44.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,400
Avg net price $29,207/yr
Tuition
In‑state$47,970
Out‑of‑state$47,970
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Emerson College

Boston, MA 45.5 miles from New Bedford
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
67.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 51%
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,832
Avg net price $49,180/yr
Tuition
In‑state$57,056
Out‑of‑state$57,056
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Simmons University

Boston, MA 47.4 miles from New Bedford
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
70.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,494
Avg net price $25,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Boston University

Boston, MA 47.7 miles from New Bedford
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
81.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $83,238
Avg net price $24,402/yr
Tuition
In‑state$68,102
Out‑of‑state$68,102
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Suffolk University

Boston, MA 47.9 miles from New Bedford
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,506
Avg net price $29,618/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Lasell University

Newton, MA 49.0 miles from New Bedford
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
46.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,705
Avg net price $27,511/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Salem State University

Salem, MA 57.7 miles from New Bedford
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
62.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,662
Avg net price $15,996/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Endicott College

Beverly, MA 61.1 miles from New Bedford
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
63.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,336
Avg net price $40,654/yr
Tuition
In‑state$40,650
Out‑of‑state$40,650
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Strategic Communications Wages Near New Bedford

New Bedford is part of the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area (BLS area code 39300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Manager$146,370Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$143,782
Public Relations Specialist$77,210Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$75,845
Marketing Manager$212,020MA statewide$208,271

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.


New Bedford at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population100,731Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$56,025Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+16.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)101.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other New Bedford-Area Cities With Strategic Communications Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited strategic communications schools are near New Bedford, MA?

Our directory has 17 accredited schools offering strategic communications programs near New Bedford. The closest is Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI (16.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Suffolk University (47.9 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying strategic communications roles near New Bedford?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying strategic communications-related roles near New Bedford are: Marketing Manager ($212,020), Public Relations Manager ($146,370), Public Relations Specialist ($77,210). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Fall River instead of New Bedford?

Fall River, MA is 8.7 miles from New Bedford 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 New Bedford an affordable place to study strategic communications?

New Bedford’s median household income of $56,025 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in New Bedford while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 New Bedford

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

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.