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2027 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools in Illinois

[Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication](/majors/communication-journalism-media/public-relations-advertising/public-relations-advertising-and-applied-communication/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for public relations, advertising, & applied communication students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools in Illinois

2027 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public relations, advertising, & applied communication, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools

1

Bradley University
Peoria, IL

$42,160 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,819 Avg Student Debt

$66,852 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in public relations, advertising, & applied communication, no school beat Bradley University this year. Set in the city of Peoria, Bradley University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $42,160 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for public relations, advertising, & applied communication graduates is $26,819. Early-career public relations, advertising, & applied communication graduates make about $38,351. Set against $26,819 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.

2

Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, IL

$53,710 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,000 Avg Student Debt

$71,530 Median Earnings (10yr)

Loyola University Chicago came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value public relations, advertising, & applied communication schools. Set in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,710. Typical student debt for public relations, advertising, & applied communication graduates is $25,000. Early-career public relations, advertising, & applied communication graduates make about $58,568. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Loyola University Chicago admits about 82% of applicants.

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Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.