Strategic Communications Schools Near La Crosse, WI (2026)

La Crosse, Wisconsin has 4 accredited schools offering strategic communications programs, with tuition ranging from $4,844 to $45,080 per year for indexed programs. La Crosse has a population of about 51,791. Median household income is $53,803 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro area, the top-earning strategic communications-related role is Marketing Manager at a median $130,230 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Strategic Communications Schools to La Crosse

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

Chippewa Valley Technical College

Eau Claire, WI 68.5 miles from La Crosse
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
61.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,297
Avg net price $12,285/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 100

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Wisconsin-River Falls

River Falls, WI 98.7 miles from La Crosse
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
62.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,458
Avg net price $14,054/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Oshkosh, WI 133.9 miles from La Crosse
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
59.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,548
Avg net price $14,305/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Marian University

Fond Du Lac, WI 140.3 miles from La Crosse
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
47.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,501
Avg net price $21,937/yr
Tuition
In‑state$35,178
Out‑of‑state$35,178
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI 173.8 miles from La Crosse
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
75.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 81%
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,257
Avg net price $31,487/yr
Tuition
In‑state$51,170
Out‑of‑state$51,170
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Gateway Technical College

Kenosha, WI 189.8 miles from La Crosse
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
56.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,264
Avg net price $12,928/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,956
Out‑of‑state$7,199
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 107

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Carthage College

Kenosha, WI 190.5 miles from La Crosse
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
47.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 87%
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,950
Avg net price $26,565/yr
Tuition
In‑state$38,750
Out‑of‑state$38,750
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Strategic Communications Wages Near La Crosse

La Crosse is part of the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro area (BLS area code 29100). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Wisconsin statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Manager$113,980WI statewide$124,161
Public Relations Specialist$64,130La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN$69,858
Marketing Manager$130,230La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN$141,863

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.


La Crosse at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population51,791Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$53,803Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+34.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other La Crosse-Area Cities With Strategic Communications Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited strategic communications schools are near La Crosse, WI?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering strategic communications programs near La Crosse. The closest is Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in Winona, MN (27.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-River Falls (99.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying strategic communications roles near La Crosse?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying strategic communications-related roles near La Crosse are: Marketing Manager ($130,230), Public Relations Manager ($113,980), Public Relations Specialist ($64,130). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Wisconsin statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Winona instead of La Crosse?

Winona, MN is 27.0 miles from La Crosse 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 La Crosse an affordable place to study strategic communications?

La Crosse’s median household income of $53,803 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in La Crosse while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Wisconsin 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 La Crosse

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

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.