Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Public information officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a public information officer. Public information officers usually study communication, journalism, or business. 76% of public information officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,189 real public information officer resumes to see exactly what public information officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for public information officers are the Florida State University and the Florida State University.
There are also many online public information officer courses to help get the education required to be a public information officer.
There are certain public information officer certifications that you should consider. These public information officer certifications include Certified Manager Certification (CM) and Certified Emergency Manager (CEM).
What education do you need to become a public information officer?
What degree do you need to be a public information officer?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Master's, 14%
- Associate, 7%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a public information officer?
- Communication, 23%
- Journalism, 19%
- Business, 9%
- English, 7%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for public information officers
| Public information officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Florida State University | 8.51% |
| Ohio State University | 7.80% |
| Arizona State University | 6.74% |
| Ohio University | 6.74% |
| University of Florida | 5.67% |
Best majors for public information officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 22.8% |
| 2 | Journalism | 18.6% |
| 3 | Business | 8.9% |
| 4 | English | 7.4% |
| 5 | Public Relations | 6.9% |
Best colleges for public information officers
The best colleges for public information officers are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.
A public information officer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for public information officers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become public information officers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
10. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
20 best online courses for public information officers
Advertising disclosure
1. Communicating with the Public
Rooted in theater, journalism and humanities practices, this course presents tools and techniques that help you improve your public-facing communication skills, particularly when describing your work to a lay audience. Whether it’s a 30-second elevator pitch or speaking to a large organization, “Communicating with the Public” will boost your confidence in any speech-communication scenario...
2. Breastfeeding: Public Health Perspectives
Engaging in this course will provide you with the opportunity to think about breastfeeding and its public health implications. The Socio-Ecological Model will be the framework of the course as we think about how each level of the Model (individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and public policy) impacts breastfeeding practices in the United States, and globally. Through short video lectures you will be introduced to relevant topics related to the public health perspectives of...
3. Public Relations: Media Crisis Communications
Public Relations: You Can Shape and Control Your Media Messages at The Worst Possible Times...
4. Press Coverage, Publicity & Public Relations For Branding
Public relations to reach 100,000+ people with influencer marketing, publicity, and press coverage for personal branding...
5. The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health
The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health provides an engaging overview of the incredible accomplishments and promise of the public health field. The first module includes interviews with legendary public health figures whose work led to millions of lives saved with vaccines, air bags and car seats, and the federal Women Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program. The second module brings key public health tools to life -- including use of data, communications, and policy - through...
6. Systems Thinking In Public Health
This course provides an introduction to systems thinking and systems models in public health. Problems in public health and health policy tend to be complex with many actors, institutions and risk factors involved. If an outcome depends on many interacting and adaptive parts and actors the outcome cannot be analyzed or predicted with traditional statistical methods. Systems thinking is a core skill in public health and helps health policymakers build programs and policies that are aware of and...
7. Public Speaking Skills: Give a Great Informational Speech
Public Speaking - You can confidently present information in a way that is understandable and memorable...
8. Public Speaking for People Who Hate Public Speaking
Public Speaking for People Who Hate Public Speaking - Presentation Skills - Communication Skills and Storytelling...
9. Public Speaking: A tactical approach
This course will teach public speaking, communication skills and storytelling in an entirely new way...
10. Public Speaking for Beginners
Public Speaking Skills Developed From Scratch, in Little Time...
11. The Art of Public Speaking
Master Public Speaking: Deliver Unforgettable Speeches & Presentations With The World's Most Decorated Public Speaker...
12. Public Speaking & Communicating: Skip Theory, Master the Art
Public Speaking,Presenting,Communicating. After years in the Making: The Spark Words method has been proven by Thousands...
13. Fear of Public Speaking: Never Fear Public Speaking Again
Public Speaking Fear. You will deliver presentations/speeches with confidence and ease. Never be nervous again...
14. Public Speaking Training & Facilitator Certification
World-class public speaking training: Learn presentation skills, engage your audience, develop confidence, facilitate...
15. Public Speaking for Engineers: Never Get Lost in Tech Detail
Public Speaking: present technical information in an understandable and memorable way, even to non-engineering audiences...
16. Public Speaking: Be a Professional Speaker
Public Speaking: Learn how to position yourself as a professional speaker and market yourself...
17. 2023 Complete Public Speaking Masterclass For Every Occasion
TJ Walker's Incredibly Thorough and Comprehensive Public Speaking Course for Every Situation, Audience and Skill Level...
18. Public Speaking Crash Course! (Fast Paced)
Instant Practical Steps to Jump Into Public Speaking, Communicating & Presenting Anything...
19. Effective Presentation and TED like Public Speaking
Transform your passion into performance through public speaking, presentation or storytelling...
20. Time Management Public Speaking - Drastically Reduce Prep
Time Management Public Speaking: You don't have to spend hours preparing your public speaking...
Top 10 most affordable universities for public information officers
The most affordable schools for public information officers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for public information officers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for public information officers.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for public information officers
The hardest universities for public information officers to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for public information officers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for public information officers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for public information officers
The easiest schools for public information officers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a public information officer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for public information officers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
Average public information officer salary by education level
| Public information officer education level | Public information officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $65,216 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $58,296 |
Public information officer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for public information officer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025