Grand Rapids, Michigan has 8 accredited schools offering strategic communications programs, with tuition ranging from $14,760 to $56,950 per year for indexed programs. Grand Rapids has a population of about 197,768. Median household income is $65,526 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 40.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area, the top-earning strategic communications-related role is Marketing Manager at a median $128,900 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Strategic Communications Schools to Grand Rapids
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer strategic communications programs near Grand Rapids, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,118
Avg net price
$16,317/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 76%
- Programs offered: 58
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,562
Avg net price
$15,273/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 105
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,735
Avg net price
$8,624/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 95
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
90%
Graduation rate
60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,874
Avg net price
$17,597/yr
TuitionIn‑state$14,760
Out‑of‑state$14,760
Key stats- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 91
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$67,253
Avg net price
$19,680/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 91%
- Programs offered: 82
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,799
Avg net price
$14,301/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 17
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,732
Avg net price
$19,353/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 35
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,075
Avg net price
$27,232/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 15
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Michigan schools on the Michigan strategic communications page.
Strategic Communications Wages Near Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids is part of the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area (BLS area code 24340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Public Relations Manager | $110,770 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $115,990 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $59,770 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $62,586 |
| Marketing Manager | $128,900 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $134,974 |
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.
Grand Rapids at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 197,768 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $65,526 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 40.1% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 95.5 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Grand Rapids-Area Cities With Strategic Communications Programs
- Walker, MI – 4.8 mi away (24,775 pop)
- Wyoming, MI – 5.5 mi away (75,567 pop)
- Kentwood, MI – 6.2 mi away (51,689 pop)
- Holland, MI – 26.1 mi away (101,421 pop)
- Norton Shores, MI – 33.1 mi away (24,340 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited strategic communications schools are near Grand Rapids, MI?
Our directory has 8 accredited schools offering strategic communications programs near Grand Rapids. The closest is Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI (11.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northwood University (83.3 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying strategic communications roles near Grand Rapids?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying strategic communications-related roles near Grand Rapids are: Marketing Manager ($128,900), Public Relations Manager ($110,770), Public Relations Specialist ($59,770). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Walker instead of Grand Rapids?
Walker, MI is 4.8 miles from Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids an affordable place to study strategic communications?
Grand Rapids’s median household income of $65,526 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Grand Rapids while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Grand Rapids
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Grand Rapids:
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- Supply Chain Management programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Data Analytics programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Public Health programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Human Resources programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Project Management programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Special Education programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Homeland Security programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Marketing programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Finance programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Kinesiology programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Sports Management programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Early Childhood Education programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Elementary Education programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Biology programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Communications programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Graphic Design programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Human Services programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- MBA programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Criminal Justice programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Nursing programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Business Administration programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Computer Science programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Psychology programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Education programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Engineering programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Technology programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Liberal Arts programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Healthcare programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Cybersecurity programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Accounting programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Healthcare Administration programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Social Work programs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Counseling programs in Grand Rapids, MI
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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