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2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

74 Ranked Colleges
3,103 Degrees Awarded
$10,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication is the 183rd most popular major in the country with 3,827 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,103 public relations, advertising, and applied communication graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 74 colleges that offer a degree in public relations, advertising, and applied communication. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public relations, advertising, and applied communication programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the public relations, advertising, and applied communication program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 74 schools in the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 109 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $5,360 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Florida State University

#20 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida International University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 171 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FIU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $5,002 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Florida International University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of South Florida - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 80 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $3,950 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

#4

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Pullman, Washington, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

Wazzu not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $9,334 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wazzu.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Washington State University

#5

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#12 in overall quality

Out of the 74 schools in the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 57 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls also made our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,366 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

#5 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, this large public school handed out 188 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication students in 2019-2020.

UNL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,216 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at UNL

#7

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Ball State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ball State University is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 63 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ball State has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,403 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ball State.

Full Ball State University Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

#8

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. GVSU is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 152 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k list, GVSU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,578 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Grand Valley State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Read more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Grand Valley State University

#4 in overall quality

University of Colorado Boulder came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Colorado Boulder is a public institution located in Boulder, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 368 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CU - Boulder did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Colorado Boulder is $13,366 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at University of Colorado Boulder

#16 in overall quality

North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Fargo, North Dakota that handed out 43 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University also made our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $11,524 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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, & Applied Communication at North Dakota State University

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $11,687 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

#12

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Oakland University is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $7,490 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Oakland University Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

#13

Central Connecticut State University

New Britain, Connecticut

Central Connecticut State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. This fairly large school is located in New Britain, Connecticut, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Central Connecticut State University is $12,298 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full CCSU Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

#14

Buffalo State

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo State landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Buffalo, New York, this medium-sized public school handed out 56 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Buffalo State is $9,347 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Buffalo State

University of Louisiana at Lafayette landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UL Lafayette is a fairly large public school situated in Lafayette, Louisiana. It awarded 39 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,621 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Full UL Lafayette Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

#16

Holy Family University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #16, Holy Family University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,556 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Holy Family University.

Full Holy Family Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

Minnesota State University - Moorhead ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. MSU Moorhead is a public institution located in Moorhead, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend MSU Moorhead is $12,484 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State University - Moorhead Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

#18

Rhode Island College

Providence, Rhode Island

With a ranking of #18, Rhode Island College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rhode Island College is a medium-sized school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 20 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,691 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rhode Island College.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Rhode Island College

#19

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. SXU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,266 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SXU.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Saint Xavier University

University of Central Oklahoma did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Edmond, Oklahoma is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to 62 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,297 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCO.

Read more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at UCO

#21

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, Georgia
#19 in overall quality

Kennesaw State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kennesaw State University is located in Kennesaw, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 140 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k list, KSU Georgia has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kennesaw State University is $13,975 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Kennesaw State University Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

#22

St. Francis College

Brooklyn Heights, New York

St. Francis College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SFC is located in Brooklyn Heights, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for SFC is $17,263 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SFC Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

#23

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford

Bradford, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #23, University of Pittsburgh - Bradford did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pitt Bradford is a small public school situated in Bradford, Pennsylvania. It awarded 1 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Pitt Bradford is $14,937 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at University of Pittsburgh - Bradford

#24

Mercy College

Dobbs Ferry, New York

Mercy College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Dobbs Ferry, New York, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Mercy College is $11,755 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Mercy Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

#25

Mount Saint Mary College

Newburgh, New York

Mount Saint Mary College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Newburgh, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,634 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mount Saint Mary College.

Full Mount Saint Mary Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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