2026 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools in Michigan
[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. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 7 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value public relations, advertising, & applied communication schools.
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2026 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools in Michigan
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
Oakland University earned the #1 spot for value among public relations, advertising, & applied communication schools in Michigan. Located in the suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,167, with out-of-state students paying around $24,735. Typical student debt for public relations, advertising, & applied communication graduates is $24,975. Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication graduates of Oakland University earn a median of $40,299 early in their careers. Set against $24,975 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Albion College one of the best values for public relations, advertising, & applied communication. Set in the town of Albion, Albion College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $56,950 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,254 to complete the public relations, advertising, & applied communication program here. Soon after graduation, public relations, advertising, & applied communication degree recipients from Albion College generally make around $40,829. Set against $26,254 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
Grand Valley State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public relations, advertising, & applied communication, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the town of Allendale, Grand Valley State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $15,502 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $21,894. Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication graduates carry a median of $26,377 in student loans. Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication graduates of Grand Valley State University earn a median of $38,172 early in their careers. Set against $26,377 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 83%.
A rank of #4 makes Michigan State University one of the best values for public relations, advertising, & applied communication. Set in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $18,079 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $44,850. Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication graduates carry a median of $23,899 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public relations, advertising, & applied communication degree recipients from Michigan State University generally make around $45,158. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Michigan State University admits about 85% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, 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 4 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.
