Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication: is this master's degree worth it?
National picture across 30 reporting college programs.
Personal baseline needed
$81,298 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.
$81,298Median year-4 earnings
$28,334Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Observed national outcomes
$81,298Median reported earnings · year 4
$81,174Average reported earnings · year 5
Not availableMedian federal debt
55thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
30Reporting programs
30With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $44,556
- Federal debt
- $15,833
- Reporting programs
- 11
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $54,879
- Federal debt
- $12,000
- Reporting programs
- 1
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $62,087
- Federal debt
- $24,693
- Reporting programs
- 198
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $81,298
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 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$71,664National median$81,29875th percentile$89,265
30 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1School of Visual Arts$126,4482Georgetown University$115,0913George Washington University$101,9324American University$97,9325Northwestern University$96,2506Boston University$90,2127Marist University$90,0608University of Southern California$89,7609California Baptist University$89,26510Syracuse University$87,500Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Communications Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1122 · 8 crosswalk linksPublic Relations SpecialistsSOC 27-3031 · 6 crosswalk linksPublic Relations ManagersSOC 11-2032 · 5 crosswalk linksAdvertising and Promotions ManagersSOC 11-2011 · 3 crosswalk linksFundraisersSOC 13-1131 · 3 crosswalk linksFundraising ManagersSOC 11-2033 · 3 crosswalk linksNews Analysts, Reporters, and JournalistsSOC 27-3023 · 3 crosswalk linksAgents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and AthletesSOC 13-1011 · 1 crosswalk linksBroadcast Announcers and Radio Disc JockeysSOC 27-3011 · 1 crosswalk linksCommunity Health WorkersSOC 21-1094 · 1 crosswalk linksEditorsSOC 27-3041 · 1 crosswalk linksEntertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers, All OtherSOC 27-2099 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | ROI status | Cost context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | School of Visual ArtsMaster's Degree | New York, NY | $126,448 | Not available | Baseline needed | $57,914 |
| 2 | Georgetown UniversityMaster's Degree | Washington, DC | $115,091 | Not available | Baseline needed | $40,815 |
| 3 | George Washington UniversityMaster's Degree | Washington, DC | $101,932 | Not available | Baseline needed | $36,586 |
| 4 | American UniversityMaster's Degree | Washington, DC | $97,932 | Not available | Baseline needed | $41,943 |
| 5 | Northwestern UniversityMaster's Degree | Evanston, IL | $96,250 | Not available | Baseline needed | $29,167 |
| 6 | Boston UniversityMaster's Degree | Boston, MA | $90,212 | Not available | Baseline needed | $24,402 |
| 7 | Marist UniversityMaster's Degree | Poughkeepsie, NY | $90,060 | Not available | Baseline needed | $41,544 |
| 8 | University of Southern CaliforniaMaster's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $89,760 | Not available | Baseline needed | $32,740 |
| 9 | California Baptist UniversityMaster's Degree | Riverside, CA | $89,265 | Not available | Baseline needed | $26,285 |
| 10 | Syracuse UniversityMaster's Degree | Syracuse, NY | $87,500 | Not available | Baseline needed | $38,793 |
| 11 | Trinity Washington UniversityMaster's Degree | Washington, DC | $86,961 | Not available | Baseline needed | $9,302 |
| 12 | Hofstra UniversityMaster's Degree | Hempstead, NY | $85,300 | Not available | Baseline needed | $34,176 |
| 13 | DePaul UniversityMaster's Degree | Chicago, IL | $83,583 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,902 |
| 14 | The University of Texas at AustinMaster's Degree | Austin, TX | $83,467 | Not available | Baseline needed | $19,857 |
| 15 | CUNY City CollegeMaster's Degree | New York, NY | $81,401 | Not available | Baseline needed | $3,776 |
| 16 | Texas Tech UniversityMaster's Degree | Lubbock, TX | $81,195 | Not available | Baseline needed | $19,070 |
| 17 | University of OregonMaster's Degree | Eugene, OR | $79,716 | Not available | Baseline needed | $22,182 |
| 18 | West Virginia UniversityMaster's Degree | Morgantown, WV | $78,276 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,634 |
| 19 | Florida State UniversityMaster's Degree | Tallahassee, FL | $77,547 | Not available | Baseline needed | $11,297 |
| 20 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionMaster's Degree | Tempe, AZ | $76,478 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,967 |
| 21 | Arizona State University Digital ImmersionMaster's Degree | Scottsdale, AZ | $76,478 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 22 | Sacred Heart UniversityMaster's Degree | Fairfield, CT | $71,686 | Not available | Baseline needed | $46,174 |
| 23 | Monmouth UniversityMaster's Degree | West Long Branch, NJ | $71,664 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,988 |
| 24 | St. John's University-New YorkMaster's Degree | Queens, NY | $71,471 | Not available | Baseline needed | $29,999 |
| 25 | Southern New Hampshire UniversityMaster's Degree | Manchester, NH | $70,574 | Not available | Baseline needed | $36,708 |
| 26 | Drexel UniversityMaster's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $70,518 | Not available | Baseline needed | $38,509 |
| 27 | Webster UniversityMaster's Degree | Saint Louis, MO | $67,174 | Not available | Baseline needed | $27,047 |
| 28 | Full Sail UniversityMaster's Degree | Winter Park, FL | $53,820 | Not available | Baseline needed | $38,875 |
| 29 | Murray State UniversityMaster's Degree | Murray, KY | $51,638 | Not available | Baseline needed | $9,096 |
| 30 | Universidad del Sagrado CorazonMaster's Degree | Santurce, PR | $43,120 | Not available | Baseline needed | $12,924 |
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.