2026 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools in Indiana
[Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication](/majors/communication-journalism-media/public-relations-advertising/public-relations-advertising-and-applied-communication/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for public relations, advertising, & applied communication students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools in Indiana
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the public relations, advertising, & applied communication degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools
Ball State University earned the #1 spot for value among public relations, advertising, & applied communication schools in Indiana. Located in the city of Muncie, Ball State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,082, compared with $29,630 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,879 to complete the public relations, advertising, & applied communication program here. Soon after graduation, public relations, advertising, & applied communication degree recipients from Ball State University generally make around $38,020. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Franklin College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public relations, advertising, & applied communication, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Franklin, Franklin College is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $38,710. Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public relations, advertising, & applied communication degree recipients from Franklin College generally make around $36,964. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
