Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Public relations officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a public relations officer. Public relations officers usually study business, communication, or public relations. 70% of public relations officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,612 real public relations officer resumes to see exactly what public relations officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for public relations officers are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.
There are also many online public relations officer courses to help get the education required to be a public relations officer.
There are certain public relations officer certifications that you should consider. These public relations officer certifications include Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) and Accreditation in Public Relations (PR).
What education do you need to become a public relations officer?
What degree do you need to be a public relations officer?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 8%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a public relations officer?
- Business, 17%
- Communication, 16%
- Public Relations, 7%
- Psychology, 7%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for public relations officers
| Public relations officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Texas A&M University | 8.87% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.85% |
| New York University | 6.45% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.45% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.45% |
Best majors for public relations officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 16.7% |
| 2 | Communication | 16.1% |
| 3 | Public Relations | 7.0% |
| 4 | Psychology | 6.7% |
| 5 | English | 5.9% |
Best colleges for public relations officers
The best colleges for public relations officers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
A public relations 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 relations 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 relations officers.
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. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
4. University of Houston
Houston, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$8,913
Enrollment
37,291
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
10. Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$41,870
Enrollment
8,200
20 best online courses for public relations officers
Advertising disclosure
1. Data Streaming
Learn how to process data in real-time by building fluency in modern data engineering tools, such as Apache Spark, Kafka, Spark Streaming, and Kafka Streaming. ...
2. 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...
3. 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...
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. Public Relations: Media Crisis Communications
Public Relations: You Can Shape and Control Your Media Messages at The Worst Possible Times...
6. 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...
7. Global Public Procurement
Students will learn the key principles of public procurement with public entities, including national international organizations. This course also illustrates practical examples and models on understanding the processes and procedurals of public procurement. Through the course, students will learn practical information such as registering as vendors and finding and bidding for opportunities. Week 1 : Global Public Procurement Introduction Week 2 : WTO, GPA, FTA, and Procurement Regulations...
8. The Ultimate Public Relations Masterclass
Everything you need to know to be successful at PR in a digital world...
9. Modern PR - How To Get Press Coverage For Your Business
A proven public relations / PR system to get press coverage for your company or product, from a journalist's perspective...
10. Public Speaking Training & Facilitator Certification
World-class public speaking training: Learn presentation skills, engage your audience, develop confidence, facilitate...
11. Public Speaking for People Who Hate Public Speaking
Public Speaking for People Who Hate Public Speaking - Presentation Skills - Communication Skills and Storytelling...
12. Workplace Communication: You Can Speak Up at Meetings!
You Can Learn to Speak up At Anytime Knowing how To Look and Sound Your Best in Meetings...
13. Public Speaking for College Students: Become a Great Speaker
Public speaking may be the single most important skill for long-term success and you are unlikely to learn it in college...
14. Public Speaking for Beginners
Public Speaking Skills Developed From Scratch, in Little Time...
15. The Art of Public Speaking
Master Public Speaking: Deliver Unforgettable Speeches & Presentations With The World's Most Decorated Public Speaker...
16. Public Speaking: A tactical approach
This course will teach public speaking, communication skills and storytelling in an entirely new way...
17. Public Speaking and Presenting at Work
Master professional presentation skills, develop confidence, command the room, facilitate meetings & design your speech...
18. MS Office Course Bundle- Word , Powerpoint , Excel & Outlook
MS Office Learn and Polish the Most Desirable Office Courses at work , MS Word , MS Excel , MS Powerpoint and MS Outlook...
19. 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...
20. 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...
Top 10 most affordable universities for public relations officers
The most affordable schools for public relations officers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for public relations 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 relations 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. 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. 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
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for public relations officers
The hardest universities for public relations officers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for public relations 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 relations 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
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. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
7. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,415
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for public relations officers
The easiest schools for public relations officers to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a public relations 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 relations officers.
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. 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. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
8. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton
Dunmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,056
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
Average public relations officer salary by education level
| Public relations officer education level | Public relations officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $35,578 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,886 |
Public relations officer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
Search for public relations officer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025