This study examined comparative study of the influence of public relations strategies on the performance of selected universities in North-Central state, Nigeria. The Study was anchored on Excellence Theory and Situational Crisis Communication Theory. A survey research design was adopted, and data were collected from 388 respondents using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the responses, while an independent-samples t-test was employed to determine whether a significant difference existed in the effectiveness of public relations strategies between the selected universities. The findings revealed that social media and digital communication constituted the dominant public relations strategy (37.6%), indicating a growing reliance on digital platforms for institutional communication and stakeholder engagement. The study further found that public relations strategies had a strong positive perceived influence on university performance, particularly in relation to institutional reputation, stakeholder trust, and student attraction. The comparative analysis showed that the Federal University of Lafia recorded a higher mean effectiveness score (M = 3.42, SD = 0.61) than Benue State University, Makurdi (M = 3.18, SD = 0.66). The independent-samples t-test revealed that this difference was statistically significant, t(384) = 3.72, p < .001. The study also found that inadequate funding (36.1%) was the major challenge affecting effective PR implementation. The study concludes that public relations constitute an important strategic function in improving university performance. It recommends increased investment in digital communication, professional development of PR personnel, improved communication responsiveness, and adequate funding for PR activities.