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Vice president of public relations education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a vice president of public relations. Vice presidents of public relations usually study communication, business, or public relations. 84% of vice presidents of public relations hold a bachelor's degree, and 8% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,786 real vice president of public relations resumes to see exactly what vice president of public relations education sections show.
The most common colleges for vice presidents of public relations are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.
There are also many online vice president of public relations courses to help get the education required to be a vice president of public relations.
There are certain vice president of public relations certifications that you should consider. These vice president of public relations certifications include Accreditation in Public Relations (PR) and Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI).
What education do you need to become a vice president of public relations?
What degree do you need to be a vice president of public relations?
- Bachelor's, 84%
- Master's, 8%
- Associate, 4%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a vice president of public relations?
- Communication, 19%
- Business, 15%
- Public Relations, 11%
- Marketing, 10%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for vice presidents of public relations
| Vice president of public relations common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Maryland - College Park | 7.53% |
| Syracuse University | 7.19% |
| University of Iowa | 6.85% |
| University of Georgia | 6.51% |
| Boston University | 6.51% |
Best majors for vice presidents of public relations
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 19.0% |
| 2 | Business | 14.9% |
| 3 | Public Relations | 10.6% |
| 4 | Marketing | 9.7% |
| 5 | Journalism | 8.4% |
Best colleges for vice presidents of public relations
The best colleges for vice presidents of public relations are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.
A vice president of public relations with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for vice presidents of public relations. 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 vice presidents of public relations.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,530
Enrollment
4,571
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
20 best online courses for vice presidents of public relations
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Top 10 most affordable universities for vice presidents of public relations
The most affordable schools for vice presidents of public relations are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and california state university - dominguez hills.
If the best universities for vice presidents of public relations 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 vice presidents of public relations.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
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 vice presidents of public relations
The hardest universities for vice presidents of public relations to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for vice presidents of public relations 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 vice presidents of public relations 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. 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Tulane University
New Orleans, LA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,428
10. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for vice presidents of public relations
The easiest schools for vice presidents of public relations 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 vice president of public relations 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 vice presidents of public relations.
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. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
Average vice president of public relations salary by education level
| Vice president of public relations education level | Vice president of public relations salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $171,043 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $148,245 |
Vice president of public relations education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025