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2023 Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Degree Guide

A Recent Jump in Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Degrees

#170 Most Popular Major
4.2k Degrees Awarded
8.9% Increase in Graduates

In 2020-2021, public relations, advertising, and applied communication was the 170th most popular major nationwide with 4,203 degrees awarded. This represents a 8.9% increase in public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 3,827.

This year's Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools ranking compares 87 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of public relations, advertising, and applied communication programs later in this article.

2023 Best Colleges for Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication
2023 Overall Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Colleges >

Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools by Degree

Associate Degrees in Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication
Bachelor's Degrees in Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication
Master's Degrees in Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication

Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Degree Requirements

When studying Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, you’ll learn that giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs. Required skills include talking to others to convey information effectively and understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Degree Program Entry Requirements

New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Specific public relations, advertising, and applied communication careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.

Types of Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Degrees

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication degree levels vary. You can spend many years getting as high as a in public relations, advertising, and applied communication to something that takes less time like a . Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication programs can take anywhere between one to four or more years for a full-time student to complete.

Degree Credit Requirements Typical Program Length
Associate Degree 60-70 credits 2 years
Bachelor’s Degree 120 credits 4 years
Master’s Degree 50-70 credits 1-3 years
Doctorate Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation At least 4 years

A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to public relations, advertising, and applied communication, with approximately 56.0% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to public relations, advertising, and applied communication tend obtained the following education levels.

Level of Education Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree 59.4%
Master’s Degree 20.3%
Some College Courses 5.4%
Doctoral Degree 3.6%
High School Diploma 2.6%

About 89.3% of workers in careers related to public relations, advertising, and applied communication obtain at least bachelor's degrees. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in public relations, advertising, and applied communication have received.

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This of course varies depending on which public relations, advertising, and applied communication career you choose.

Career Opportunities for A Degree In Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Graduate

Average Number of Jobs
103k Avg. Related Jobs Salary
9% Growth Job Outlook 2016-26

Solid Growth Projected for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Careers

Want a job when you graduate with your public relations, advertising, and applied communication degree? Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication careers are expected to grow 9.0% between 2016 and 2026.

The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to public relations, advertising, and applied communication.

Occupation Name Projected Jobs Expected Growth
Public Relations Specialists 282,600 8.9%
Public Relations and Fundraising Managers 81,100 10.3%
Communications Professors 37,500 10.0%
Advertising and Promotions Managers 33,000 5.4%

How Much Money Do Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Grads Make?

As you might expect, salaries for public relations, advertising, and applied communication graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.

High Paying Careers for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Majors

Salaries for public relations, advertising, and applied communication graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers public relations, advertising, and applied communication grads often go into.

Occupation Name Median Average Salary
Advertising and Promotions Managers $133,090
Public Relations and Fundraising Managers $131,570
Communications Professors $78,090
Public Relations Specialists $68,440

Getting Your Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Degree

With over 251 different public relations, advertising, and applied communication degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased public relations, advertising, and applied communication school rankings to help you with this.

Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication is one of 10 different types of Public Relations & Advertising programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Relations 5,216
Advertising 4,918
General Organizational Communication 2,013
Other Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication 1,553
Communication Management and Strategic Communications 1,397

View All Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Related Majors >

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