ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 1 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$29,400 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
13.0 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−23%Estimated return after 10 years
$54,879Observed earnings · year 4
$4,395Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark would need to fall by $14,700 per year to reach it.
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$8,790
$8,000Annual price−$7,210
$16,000Annual price−$23,210
$19,000Current college-wide context−$29,210
$24,000Annual price−$39,210
$32,000Annual price−$55,210
$40,000Annual price−$71,210
Outcomes at a glance
$54,879Typical earnings four years after completion
$53,051Average earnings five years after completion
$12,000Typical federal student debt
64thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
1College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 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 associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $54,879 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $12,000. 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 $54,879 to $54,879 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.
OPEN PROFILE
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$54,879National median$54,87975th percentile$54,879
1 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.
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
1 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 1 shown
Search every reporting program →See the spread, not just the national number.
1Fashion Institute of Technology$54,879Observed 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.