2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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.
This year’s “Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 75 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public relations, advertising, and applied communication. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public relations, advertising, and applied communication programs that also have a lower cost than 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.
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More Ways to Rank Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools
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 “Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication
Out of the 75 schools in the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #1 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $13,748 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 75 schools in the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. North Dakota State University 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $16,584 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students.
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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Valley State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Allendale, Michigan 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 152 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students list, GVSU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,646 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students per year to attend Grand Valley State University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s. Located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 109 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 list, Florida State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,789 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students per year to attend Florida State University.
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 more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Florida State
Bellevue University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Bellevue University is a fairly large school located in Bellevue, Nebraska that handed out 6 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Bellevue University is $15,616 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students.
Full Bellevue University Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report
Minnesota State University - Moorhead landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Minnesota State University - Moorhead is a medium-sized public school situated in Moorhead, Minnesota. It awarded 10 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend MSU Moorhead is $16,893 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students.
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%.
Kennesaw State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. Kennesaw, Georgia 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 140 students in 2019-2020.
KSU Georgia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $17,221 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students per year to attend Kennesaw State University.
Full KSU Georgia Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report
Florida International University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. FIU is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 171 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.
FIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $7,296 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students per year to attend Florida International University.
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
University of Central Oklahoma came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. 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.
The yearly cost to attend University of Central Oklahoma is $16,562 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students.
Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at UCO
West Texas A&M University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #11. This fairly large school is located in Canyon, Texas, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend West Texas A&M University is $12,761 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students.
Harding University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Harding University is a small school located in Searcy, Arkansas that handed out 2 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $19,375 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students per year to attend Harding University.
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 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%.
Full Harding University Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report
With a ranking of #13, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 80 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $8,355 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #14, University of Central Arkansas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Conway, Arkansas 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 43 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,376 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students per year to attend University of Central Arkansas.
Full UCA Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report
With a ranking of #15, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a large public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 188 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.
UNL also took the #5 spot in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,208 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students per year to attend UNL.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Nebraska - Lincoln Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report
University of Southern Mississippi came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Mississippi is $14,923 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students.
Read more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Southern Miss
With a ranking of #17, Washington State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Pullman, Washington, this large public school awarded 87 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication students in 2019-2020.
Wazzu did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Washington State University is $16,358 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Wazzu
National University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in La Jolla, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication students in 2019-2020.
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%.
Read more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at National University
Flagler College - St Augustine landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Flagler 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.
The yearly cost to attend Flagler College - St Augustine is $23,237 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students.
Full Flagler St. Augustine Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report
Universidad del Sagrado Corazon did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #20. Sagrado is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Santurce, . It awarded 20 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Universidad del Sagrado Corazon is $12,796 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Universidad del Sagrado Corazon Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is $16,833 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students.
Read more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Edinboro
Buffalo State ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Buffalo State is a public institution located in Buffalo, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Buffalo State is $12,960 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students.
Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Buffalo State
Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #23. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ball State, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $15,147 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students.
Full Ball State Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report
Central Connecticut State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. CCSU is located in New Britain, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 60 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for CCSU is $16,158 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication students.
Full CCSU Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report
Evangel University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Evangel is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Springfield, Missouri. It awarded 7 bachelors’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $22,837 for bachelor’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students per year to attend Evangel University.
The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 Evangel University
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Bill Koplitz.
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