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Public relations writer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a public relations writer. Public relations writers usually study communication, journalism, or english. 83% of public relations writers hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 687 real public relations writer resumes to see exactly what public relations writer education sections show.
The most common colleges for public relations writers are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online public relations writer courses to help get the education required to be a public relations writer.
What education do you need to become a public relations writer?
What degree do you need to be a public relations writer?
- Bachelor's, 83%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 3%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a public relations writer?
- Communication, 19%
- Journalism, 18%
- English, 16%
- Public Relations, 10%
- Other Majors, 37%
Most common colleges for public relations writers
| Public relations writer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 7.92% |
| Brigham Young University | 7.92% |
| Montclair State University | 6.93% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 6.93% |
| Ohio State University | 5.94% |
Best majors for public relations writers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 18.9% |
| 2 | Journalism | 18.3% |
| 3 | English | 15.9% |
| 4 | Public Relations | 9.8% |
| 5 | Business | 5.1% |
Best colleges for public relations writers
The best colleges for public relations writers are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Stanford University.
A public relations writer 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 writers. 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 writers.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of Houston
Houston, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$8,913
Enrollment
37,291
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. Texas State University
San Marcos, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,280
Enrollment
34,187
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
20 best online courses for public relations writers
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6. Systems Thinking In Public Health
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20. Grant Writing for Nonprofits and Freelance Writers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for public relations writers
The most affordable schools for public relations writers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for public relations writers 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 writers.
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 - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for public relations writers
The hardest universities for public relations writers to get into are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for public relations writers 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 writers 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
9. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
10. Pepperdine University
Malibu, CA • Private
Admissions rate
36%
SAT average
1,330
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for public relations writers
The easiest schools for public relations writers to get into are Barry University, saint joseph's college of maine, and grand view university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a public relations writer 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 writers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
3. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton
Dunmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,056
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
Average public relations writer salary by education level
| Public relations writer education level | Public relations writer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $60,167 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,978 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025