UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a undergraduate certificate or diploma in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 11 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$44,556 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$44,556Median year-4 earnings
$23,350Average institution net-price context
$15,833Median federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$44,556Typical earnings four years after completion
$65,500Average earnings five years after completion
$15,833Typical federal student debt
38thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
552Degrees awarded in 2024–25
11College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 5 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
How much do Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates earn?
The national median is $44,556 four years after completion across reportable undergraduate certificate or diploma programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $15,833. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $31,473 to $57,711 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 12 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
CURRENT VIEW
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $44,556
- Federal debt
- $15,833
- Programs in the comparison
- 11
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $54,879
- Federal debt
- $12,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $62,087
- Federal debt
- $24,693
- Programs in the comparison
- 198
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $81,298
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 30
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$31,473National median$44,55675th percentile$57,711
11 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Northern Arizona University
$78,057 four years after completionFlagstaff, AZ · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtOhio Media School-Cincinnati
$9,500 among completer borrowersNorwood, OH · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classUniversity of Georgia
286 reported awards in 2024–25Athens, GA · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$72,626Observed year-4 earnings$27,858
Northern Arizona University$14,158 price · $78,057 earningsUniversity of Georgia$13,936 price · $72,626 earningsBoise State University$21,610 price · $61,544 earningsUniversity of Kentucky$18,851 price · $57,711 earningsIllinois Media School$27,238 price · $44,556 earningsIllinois Media School-Chicago Campus$26,435 price · $44,556 earningsOhio Media School-Valley View$24,111 price · $31,473 earningsColorado Media School$30,514 price · $31,473 earningsOhio Media School-Columbus$24,913 price · $31,473 earningsOhio Media School-Cincinnati$25,659 price · $27,858 earningsMiami Media School$29,429 price · $27,858 earnings
$13,936Annual college-wide average net price$29,429
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
11 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 11 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Northern Arizona University$78,0572University of Georgia$72,6263Boise State University$61,5444University of Kentucky$57,7115Illinois Media School$44,5566Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus$44,5567Ohio Media School-Valley View$31,4738Colorado Media School$31,4739Ohio Media School-Columbus$31,47310Ohio Media School-Cincinnati$27,858Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-8%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Communications Teachers, Postsecondary$78,580 median wage29,420 jobs nationwide+2.1% projected growth through 2035 · 2,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$47,590–$143,720 typical wage rangePublic Relations Specialists$74,750 median wage283,380 jobs nationwide+1.8% projected growth through 2035 · 23,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$44,110–$135,150 typical wage rangePublic Relations Managers$146,910 median wage74,850 jobs nationwide+5.7% projected growth through 2035 · 6,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$82,410–$284,990 typical wage rangeAdvertising and Promotions Managers$133,660 median wage21,470 jobs nationwide-3.7% projected growth through 2035 · 2,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$63,300–$286,240 typical wage rangeFundraising Managers$125,470 median wage38,810 jobs nationwide+5.4% projected growth through 2035 · 3,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$75,130–$222,350 typical wage rangeFundraisers$72,550 median wage111,040 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 10,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$46,630–$115,820 typical wage rangeNews Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists$62,200 median wage39,250 jobs nationwide-5.9% projected growth through 2035 · 3,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$36,240–$144,140 typical wage rangeHuman Resources Managers$149,280 median wage220,660 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 16,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$88,200–$267,810 typical wage rangeTraining and Development Managers$133,000 median wage48,050 jobs nationwide+6.4% projected growth through 2035 · 4,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$79,550–$233,600 typical wage rangeTechnical Writers$90,390 median wage45,500 jobs nationwide+0.8% projected growth through 2035 · 3,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$57,440–$145,270 typical wage rangeAgents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes$82,890 median wage12,620 jobs nationwide+9.7% projected growth through 2035 · 2,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,010–$284,570 typical wage rangeEditors$77,920 median wage91,690 jobs nationwide-1.1% projected growth through 2035 · 7,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$41,250–$153,700 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.