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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication in the Southeast Region (With Aid)

21 Ranked Colleges
1,053 Degrees Awarded
$21,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” 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.

Across the Southeast region, there were 1,171 public relations, advertising, and applied communication graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,053 public relations, advertising, and applied communication graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public relations, advertising, and applied communication program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools

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 in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students with aid.

Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication in the Southeast Region (With Aid)

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida International University landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 171 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

FIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Florida International University is $7,296 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students with aid.

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

Full FIU Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

#2

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 109 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to qualified students.

Florida State also made our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $9,789 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#8 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to 80 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students with aid list, USF Tampa has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $8,355 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at USF Tampa

#15 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Louisiana at Lafayette landed the #4 spot on the list. Lafayette, Louisiana 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 39 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students with aid list, UL Lafayette has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Louisiana at Lafayette is $12,487 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students with aid.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at UL Lafayette

#5

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, Georgia
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kennesaw State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Kennesaw, Georgia, and it awarded 140 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at KSU Georgia, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $17,221 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students with aid per year to attend KSU Georgia.

Read more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at KSU Georgia

#14 in overall quality

University of Central Arkansas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Conway, Arkansas, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

UCA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCA is $15,376 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students with aid.

Full University of Central Arkansas Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

#7

Harding University

Searcy, Arkansas
#9 in overall quality

Harding University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Harding is located in Searcy, Arkansas and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to qualified students.

Harding also took the #9 spot in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Harding University is $19,375 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

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

#8

University of Southern Mississippi

Hattiesburg, Mississippi
#20 in overall quality

University of Southern Mississippi did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Hattiesburg, Mississippi 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 9 students in 2019-2020.

Southern Miss also took the #20 spot in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Miss is $14,923 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students with aid.

Full Southern Miss Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

#9

Wingate University

Wingate, North Carolina
#12 in overall quality

Wingate University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Wingate, North Carolina 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 7 students in 2019-2020.

Wingate did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wingate University is $18,759 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Wingate

#10

Loyola University New Orleans

New Orleans, Louisiana
#7 in overall quality

Loyola University New Orleans landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Loyola University New Orleans is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New Orleans, Louisiana. It awarded 20 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola New Orleans not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola University New Orleans is $21,486 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students with aid.

Read more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Loyola University New Orleans

#11

Meredith College

Raleigh, North Carolina
#11 in overall quality

Meredith College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Meredith College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Meredith also made our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Meredith is $23,683 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Meredith Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

#12

Anderson University South Carolina

Anderson, South Carolina
#18 in overall quality

Anderson University South Carolina ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Anderson University South Carolina is a small school located in Anderson, South Carolina that handed out 11 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students with aid list, Anderson University South Carolina has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $21,756 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students with aid per year to attend Anderson University South Carolina.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Anderson University South Carolina

#13

Flagler College - St Augustine

Saint Augustine, Florida
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Flagler College - St Augustine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Flagler College - St Augustine is located in Saint Augustine, Florida and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Flagler St. Augustine, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Flagler College - St Augustine is $23,237 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students with aid.

Read more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Flagler St. Augustine

#14

Columbia College

Columbia, South Carolina
#21 in overall quality

Columbia College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Columbia, South Carolina, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia College South Carolina not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College South Carolina is $18,307 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students with aid.

Read more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Columbia College

#15

Florida Southern College

Lakeland, Florida
#10 in overall quality

Florida Southern College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Florida Southern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lakeland, Florida. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Florida Southern, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $25,646 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students with aid per year to attend Florida Southern College.

Full Florida Southern College Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

#16

Elon University

Elon, North Carolina
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Elon University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Elon, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to 172 students in 2019-2020.

Elon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $37,230 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students with aid per year to attend Elon University.

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 low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Elon University

#17

The University of Tampa

Tampa, Florida
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, The University of Tampa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Tampa is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 75 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT also made our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend The University of Tampa is $30,990 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#18

Southeastern University

Lakeland, Florida
#17 in overall quality

Southeastern University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Lakeland, Florida, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SEU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southeastern University is $24,909 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students with aid.

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

#19

William Peace University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#19 in overall quality

William Peace University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. William Peace University is a small school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 7 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

WPU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend William Peace University is $24,134 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students with aid.

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

#20

Belmont University

Nashville, Tennessee
#6 in overall quality

Belmont University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students with aid list, Belmont has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Belmont is $35,548 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students with aid.

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 full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Belmont University

#21

Lynn University

Boca Raton, Florida
#16 in overall quality

Lynn University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Boca Raton, Florida 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 16 students in 2019-2020.

Lynn University Fighting Knights also took the #16 spot in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lynn University Fighting Knights is $36,044 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students with aid.

Read more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Lynn University Fighting Knights

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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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