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Public relations account executive education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a public relations account executive. Public relations account executives usually study communication, public relations, or journalism. 86% of public relations account executives hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,765 real public relations account executive resumes to see exactly what public relations account executive education sections show.
The most common colleges for public relations account executives are the Boston University and the Boston University.
There are also many online public relations account executive courses to help get the education required to be a public relations account executive.
There are certain public relations account executive certifications that you should consider. These public relations account executive certifications include Accreditation in Public Relations (PR) and Professional Certified Marketer (PCM).
What education do you need to become a public relations account executive?
What degree do you need to be a public relations account executive?
- Bachelor's, 86%
- Master's, 9%
- Associate, 3%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a public relations account executive?
- Communication, 24%
- Public Relations, 16%
- Journalism, 13%
- Business, 8%
- Other Majors, 39%
Most common colleges for public relations account executives
| Public relations account executive common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Boston University | 9.68% |
| New York University | 6.45% |
| Temple University | 5.99% |
| University of Southern California | 5.99% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 5.99% |
Best majors for public relations account executives
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 24.0% |
| 2 | Public Relations | 16.0% |
| 3 | Journalism | 12.7% |
| 4 | Business | 7.8% |
| 5 | English | 7.0% |
Best colleges for public relations account executives
The best colleges for public relations account executives are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.
A public relations account executive 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 relations account executives. 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 relations account executives.
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. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. University of Houston
Houston, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$8,913
Enrollment
37,291
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
10. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
20 best online courses for public relations account executives
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3. Breastfeeding: Public Health Perspectives
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4. Press Coverage, Publicity & Public Relations For Branding
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5. Public Relations: Media Crisis Communications
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6. Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 2
This course, Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 2, addresses public health issues of people affected by disasters, both natural or conflict-related. It discusses the many changes that occur in people’s lives when they are uprooted by a disaster, including many important topics related to humanitarian crises, such as when there is an epidemic a public health emergency; what do we mean with the humanitarian development nexus; what are the basics of disaster epidemiology and surveillance;...
7. Leadership for Public Health Crises
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10. Systems Thinking In Public Health
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17. Fear of Public Speaking: Never Fear Public Speaking Again
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18. Introduction to International Relations
International Relations for beginners: history, theories, states, sovereignty, war, peace, int. organisations, economy...
19. Public Speaking: A tactical approach
This course will teach public speaking, communication skills and storytelling in an entirely new way...
20. Public Speaking: Be a Professional Speaker
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Top 10 most affordable universities for public relations account executives
The most affordable schools for public relations account executives are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for public relations account executives 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 relations account executives.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
9. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for public relations account executives
The hardest universities for public relations account executives to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Boston University.
Some great schools for public relations account executives 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 relations account executives 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for public relations account executives
The easiest schools for public relations account executives to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a public relations account executive 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 relations account executives.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
7. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
8. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
9. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average public relations account executive salary by education level
| Public relations account executive education level | Public relations account executive salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $58,182 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,060 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025