Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania has 18 accredited schools offering strategic communications programs, with tuition ranging from $6,600 to $67,776 per year for indexed programs. Wilkes-Barre has a population of about 44,217. Median household income is $47,970 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area, the top-earning strategic communications-related role is Marketing Manager at a median $127,000 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Strategic Communications Schools to Wilkes-Barre
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer strategic communications programs near Wilkes-Barre, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Wilkes-Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$74,652
Avg net price
$32,568/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 86%
- Programs offered: 35
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,148
Avg net price
$18,134/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 36
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,723
Avg net price
$28,819/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 86%
- Programs offered: 25
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,775
Avg net price
$21,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 76%
- Programs offered: 32
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$100,423
Avg net price
$43,756/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 95%
- Programs offered: 25
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,258
Avg net price
$23,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 46
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,064
Avg net price
$26,502/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 41
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,727
Avg net price
$28,198/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 104
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Pennsylvania schools on the Pennsylvania strategic communications page.
Strategic Communications Wages Near Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre is part of the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area (BLS area code 42540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Public Relations Manager | $99,650 | Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA | $106,464 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $51,730 | Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA | $55,267 |
| Marketing Manager | $127,000 | Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA | $135,684 |
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.
Wilkes-Barre at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 44,217 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $47,970 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 19.4% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 93.6 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Wilkes-Barre-Area Cities With Strategic Communications Programs
- Scranton, PA – 15.4 mi away (387,448 pop)
- Hazleton, PA – 21.1 mi away (55,301 pop)
- Mount Pocono, PA – 28.3 mi away (23,308 pop)
- Bloomsburg, PA – 34.6 mi away (52,637 pop)
- East Stroudsburg, PA – 40.1 mi away (56,230 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited strategic communications schools are near Wilkes-Barre, PA?
Our directory has 18 accredited schools offering strategic communications programs near Wilkes-Barre. The closest is Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke, PA (7.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is West Chester University of Pennsylvania (90.5 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying strategic communications roles near Wilkes-Barre?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying strategic communications-related roles near Wilkes-Barre are: Marketing Manager ($127,000), Public Relations Manager ($99,650), Public Relations Specialist ($51,730). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Scranton instead of Wilkes-Barre?
Scranton, PA is 15.4 miles from Wilkes-Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre an affordable place to study strategic communications?
Wilkes-Barre’s median household income of $47,970 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wilkes-Barre while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Wilkes-Barre
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Wilkes-Barre:
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- Early Childhood Education programs in Wilkes-Barre, PA
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- Biology programs in Wilkes-Barre, PA
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- Graphic Design programs in Wilkes-Barre, PA
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- Computer Science programs in Wilkes-Barre, PA
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- Healthcare Administration programs in Wilkes-Barre, PA
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- Counseling programs in Wilkes-Barre, PA
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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