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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Public Relations & Advertising

513 Ranked Colleges
$32,400 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major” ranking.

Public Relations & Advertising is the 52nd most popular major in the country with 21,275 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , public relations & advertising graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $38,341 and had an average of $24,610 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major” ranking looked at 513 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public relations & advertising. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their public relations & advertising program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Public Relations & Advertising

1
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Universidad del Sagrado Corazon
Santurce, Puerto Rico

Out of the 513 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Universidad del Sagrado Corazon landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Santurce, Puerto Rico, and it awarded 120 ’s public relations degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Universidad del Sagrado Corazon Public Relations & Advertising Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Fashion Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major. This medium-sized school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 579 ’s public relations degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Fashion Institute of Technology Public Relations & Advertising Report

3

Out of the 513 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Webber International University landed the #3 spot on the list. Webber International University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Babson Park, Florida. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Webber International University

4
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University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

Out of the 513 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Oregon landed the #4 spot on the list. UO is located in Eugene, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 499 ’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at UO

5
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Ithaca College
Ithaca, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ithaca College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 142 ’s public relations degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Ithaca College

6
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Elon University
Elon, North Carolina

Elon University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major ranking. Elon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elon, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 176 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Elon Public Relations & Advertising Report

7
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University of Florida-Online
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida-Online landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 56 ’s public relations degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UF Online Public Relations & Advertising Report

8
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Franklin College
Franklin, Indiana

With a ranking of #8, Franklin College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major list. Franklin College of Indiana is a small school located in Franklin, Indiana that handed out 11 ’s public relations degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Franklin College

9

Great Lakes Christian College ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major list. Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public relations degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Great Lakes Christian College

10
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Flagler College - St Augustine
Saint Augustine, Florida

With a ranking of #10, Flagler College - St Augustine did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major list. Located in Saint Augustine, Florida, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 31 diplomas to qualified ’s public relations students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Flagler St. Augustine

11

University of Puerto Rico - Carolina came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major ranking. This small school is located in Carolina, Puerto Rico, and it awarded 15 ’s public relations degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Puerto Rico - Carolina Public Relations & Advertising Report

12
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Butler University
Indianapolis, Indiana

Butler University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public relations degrees to 103 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Butler University Public Relations & Advertising Report

13
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College of the Ozarks
Point Lookout, Missouri

With a ranking of #13, College of the Ozarks did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major list. Located in Point Lookout, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 11 degrees to qualified ’s public relations students in 2021-2022.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at College of the Ozarks

14
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Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Syracuse University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Syracuse, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 358 degrees to qualified ’s public relations students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Syracuse Public Relations & Advertising Report

15
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Howard University
Washington, District of Columbia

Howard University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major list. Howard University is a fairly large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 80 ’s public relations degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Howard University Public Relations & Advertising Report

16
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Emerson College
Boston, Massachusetts

Emerson College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major ranking, coming in at #16. Emerson College is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 68 ’s public relations degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Emerson College

17
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Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Pepperdine University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in Malibu, California, and it awarded 127 ’s public relations degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Pepperdine University

18
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Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major ranking. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 568 ’s public relations degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Michigan State

19
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Freed-Hardeman University
Henderson, Tennessee

With a ranking of #19, Freed-Hardeman University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major list. Located in Henderson, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified ’s public relations students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Freed-Hardeman University

20
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Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #20, Susquehanna University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major list. Susquehanna University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Susquehanna Public Relations & Advertising Report

21

22
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Otterbein University
Westerville, Ohio

Otterbein University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major ranking. Located in Westerville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 25 degrees to qualified ’s public relations students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Otterbein University

23

University of Colorado Boulder did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major ranking, coming in at #23. University of Colorado Boulder is located in Boulder, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 427 ’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at CU - Boulder

24
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Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major list. Bradley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 65 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Bradley University Public Relations & Advertising Report

25

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #25 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major list. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public relations degrees to 60 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

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SUNY Fredonia
Fredonia, NY
28
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34
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Drake University
Des Moines, IA
35
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Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ
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45
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Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
46
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48
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Loras College
Dubuque, IA
49
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools Highly Focused on Public Relations Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw, GA
52Drury UniversitySpringfield, MO
53Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC
54Rider UniversityLawrenceville, NJ
55Southeast Missouri State UniversityCape Girardeau, MO
56University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL
57Cleveland State UniversityCleveland, OH
58University of PortlandPortland, OR
59Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI
60University of IdahoMoscow, ID
61William Peace UniversityRaleigh, NC
62Lee UniversityCleveland, TN
63Midway UniversityMidway, KY
64University of South Carolina - ColumbiaColumbia, SC
65American UniversityWashington, DC
RankCollegeLocation
66Dalton State CollegeDalton, GA
67Hastings CollegeHastings, NE
68Southern New Hampshire UniversityManchester, NH
69Pacific Union CollegeAngwin, CA
70Dallas Baptist UniversityDallas, TX
71Trinity Washington UniversityWashington, DC
72School of Visual ArtsNew York, NY
73Buffalo StateBuffalo, NY
74Simpson CollegeIndianola, IA
75Biola UniversityLa Mirada, CA
76Marist CollegePoughkeepsie, NY
77Trinity Christian CollegePalos Heights, IL

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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