Public relations director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a public relations director. Public relations directors usually study communication, journalism, or public relations. 81% of public relations directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 8,285 real public relations director resumes to see exactly what public relations director education sections show.

The most common colleges for public relations directors are the New York University and the New York University.

There are also many online public relations director courses to help get the education required to be a public relations director.

There are certain public relations director certifications that you should consider. These public relations director certifications include Accreditation in Public Relations (PR) and Professional Certified Marketer (PCM).

What education do you need to become a public relations director?

What degree do you need to be a public relations director?

The most common degree for public relations directors is bachelor's degree, with 81% of public relations directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 10% and master's degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 81%

Master's, 10%

Associate, 6%

High School Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a public relations director?

You should major in communication to become a public relations director. 22% of public relations directors major in communication. Other common majors for a public relations director include journalism and public relations.

Communication, 22%

Journalism, 14%

Public Relations, 12%

Business, 10%

Other Majors, 42%

Most common colleges for public relations directors

Public relations directors often get their degrees at New York University, Syracuse University, and The University of Alabama. Here are the most common colleges for public relations directors in the US based on their resumes.

Public relations director common college	Percentages
New York University	7.05%
Syracuse University	6.67%
The University of Alabama	6.55%
University of Florida	6.06%
Michigan State University	5.44%

Show more common public relations director colleges

Best majors for public relations directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Communication	22.4%
2	Journalism	13.6%
3	Public Relations	11.7%
4	Business	10.4%
5	English	6.5%

Show more common public relations director majors

Best colleges for public relations directors

The best colleges for public relations directors are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

A public relations director 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 directors. 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 directors.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

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 relations directors

Advertising disclosure

1. Introduction to Public Relations and the Media

This specialization is ideal for learners interested in how to practice public relations and branding communication. You will learn how to use different tools to manage your company’s reputation. You will learn about different forms of media, how to work with journalists, and how to plan strategic communication to enhance your company. And you will emerge from this specialization with several portfolio pieces, including a media contact list, press release, pitch, and crisis communication plan...

2. Breastfeeding: Public Health Perspectives

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3. Public Relations: Media Crisis Communications

4.6

(2,248)

Public Relations: You Can Shape and Control Your Media Messages at The Worst Possible Times...

4. Press Coverage, Publicity & Public Relations For Branding

4.3

(496)

Public relations to reach 100,000+ people with influencer marketing, publicity, and press coverage for personal branding...

5. 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...

6. Integrated Marketing Communications: Advertising, Public Relations, Digital Marketing and more

Just how familiar are you with a marketing communication campaign? Learn more about this key pillar in the marketing mix and use it to give the push your product or service needs. Through this course you will understand the most important issues when planning and evaluating marketing communications strategies and executions in order to create valuable brands and win consumers. You'll be able to combine the appropriate theories and models with practical information to make better marketing...

7. The Ultimate Public Relations Masterclass

4.7

(2,558)

Everything you need to know to be successful at PR in a digital world...

8. Introduction to International Relations

4.4

(417)

International Relations for beginners: history, theories, states, sovereignty, war, peace, int. organisations, economy...

9. Leadership for Public Health Crises

Leadership for Public Health Crises will enable current and prospective managers, directors, unit heads, and elected officials to effectively lead their organizational response to profound health-related emergencies and to build leadership capacity across multiple sectors, agencies, organizations, and divisions. This series of courses prepares graduate students (in, e.g., public administration, public health, social work, business, homeland security, education, and related fields) and...

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11. Public Speaking for People Who Hate Public Speaking

4.3

(293)

Public Speaking for People Who Hate Public Speaking - Presentation Skills - Communication Skills and Storytelling...

12. The Art of Public Speaking

4.7

(270)

Master Public Speaking: Deliver Unforgettable Speeches & Presentations With The World's Most Decorated Public Speaker...

13. Public Speaking: A tactical approach

4.5

(1,523)

This course will teach public speaking, communication skills and storytelling in an entirely new way...

14. Public Speaking & Communicating: Skip Theory, Master the Art

4.6

(2,476)

Public Speaking,Presenting,Communicating. After years in the Making: The Spark Words method has been proven by Thousands...

15. Public Speaking for Beginners

4.6

(915)

Public Speaking Skills Developed From Scratch, in Little Time...

16. Public Speaking Training & Facilitator Certification

4.6

(1,480)

World-class public speaking training: Learn presentation skills, engage your audience, develop confidence, facilitate...

17. Modern PR - How To Get Press Coverage For Your Business

4.5

(1,398)

A proven public relations / PR system to get press coverage for your company or product, from a journalist's perspective...

18. Public Speaking: Be a Professional Speaker

4.3

(540)

Public Speaking: Learn how to position yourself as a professional speaker and market yourself...

19. Public Speaking Skills: Give a Great Informational Speech

4.4

(737)

Public Speaking - You can confidently present information in a way that is understandable and memorable...

20. Public Speaking Crash Course! (Fast Paced)

4.3

(790)

Instant Practical Steps to Jump Into Public Speaking, Communicating & Presenting Anything...

Top 10 most affordable universities for public relations directors

The most affordable schools for public relations directors are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.

If the best universities for public relations directors 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 directors.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

9. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for public relations directors

The hardest universities for public relations directors to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for public relations directors 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 directors 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

6. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for public relations directors

The easiest schools for public relations directors to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a public relations director 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 directors.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

8. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

9. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average public relations director salary by education level

According to our data, public relations directors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $112,073 annually. Public relations directors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $97,868.

Public relations director education level	Public relations director salary
Master's Degree	$112,073
Bachelor's Degree	$97,868

Public relations director education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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