BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 198 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$98,350 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
15.8 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−37%Estimated return after 10 years
$62,087Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
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−$9,130
$8,000Annual price−$41,130
$16,000Annual price−$73,130
$22,000Current college-wide context−$97,130
$24,000Annual price−$105,130
$32,000Annual price−$137,130
$40,000Annual price−$169,130
Outcomes at a glance
$62,087Typical earnings four years after completion
$60,517Average earnings five years after completion
$24,693Typical federal student debt
50thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
171Degrees awarded in 2024–25
183College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 37 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 bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $62,087 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $24,693. 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 $55,197 to $68,708 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$55,197National median$62,08775th percentile$68,708
183 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
Syracuse University
$90,535 four years after completionSyracuse, NY · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtBrigham Young University
$11,975 among completer borrowersProvo, UT · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classUniversity of Colorado Boulder
411 reported awards in 2024–25Boulder, CO · 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.
$87,946Observed year-4 earnings$74,779
Syracuse University$38,793 price · $90,535 earningsSouthern Methodist University$40,892 price · $89,330 earningsUniversity of Southern California$32,740 price · $87,946 earningsGeorge Washington University$36,586 price · $85,459 earningsUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$14,355 price · $83,451 earningsUniversity of Miami$37,244 price · $82,999 earningsPepperdine University$58,098 price · $81,417 earningsUniversity of San Francisco$41,431 price · $81,285 earningsBrigham Young University$15,564 price · $80,841 earningsThe University of Texas at Austin$19,857 price · $80,221 earningsChapman University$46,555 price · $80,139 earningsMiami University-Hamilton$11,286 price · $79,710 earningsMiami University-Middletown$10,809 price · $79,710 earningsMiami University-Oxford$28,384 price · $79,710 earningsPace University$30,892 price · $79,376 earningsAmerican University$41,943 price · $78,410 earningsEndicott College$40,654 price · $77,253 earningsPacific Union College$41,008 price · $77,121 earningsJohnson & Wales University-Providence$31,027 price · $77,025 earningsJohnson & Wales University-Online$20,252 price · $77,025 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg$23,330 price · $76,246 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine$22,585 price · $76,246 earningsPennsylvania State University-Main Campus$32,875 price · $76,246 earningsPennsylvania State University-World Campus$19,550 price · $76,246 earningsUniversity of Oklahoma-Norman Campus$15,300 price · $76,148 earningsManhattan University$27,256 price · $75,594 earningsButler University$36,041 price · $75,382 earningsAssumption University$29,498 price · $74,900 earningsUniversity of Colorado Boulder$25,346 price · $74,779 earningsUniversity of Georgia$13,936 price · $74,531 earnings
$11,286Annual college-wide average net price$41,943
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Syracuse University$90,5352Southern Methodist University$89,3303University of Southern California$87,9464George Washington University$85,4595University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$83,4516University of Miami$82,9997Pepperdine University$81,4178University of San Francisco$81,2859Brigham Young University$80,84110The University of Texas at Austin$80,221Observed 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.
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
NY14 programs$66,153 average earningsPA13 programs$64,640 average earningsOH13 programs$62,648 average earningsFL11 programs$60,884 average earningsMI10 programs$60,372 average earningsIL10 programs$65,289 average earningsTX8 programs$67,273 average earningsCA8 programs$73,818 average earningsMO6 programs$55,672 average earningsKY6 programs$53,464 average earningsIN6 programs$64,688 average earningsIA6 programs$62,363 average earnings
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.