2026 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools in District of Columbia
[Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication](/majors/communication-journalism-media/public-relations-advertising/public-relations-advertising-and-applied-communication/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for public relations, advertising, & applied communication students.
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2026 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools in District of Columbia
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
Our analysis ranked George Washington University the best value for a degree in public relations, advertising, & applied communication in District of Columbia. George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Students from in state pay about $67,710 in tuition and fees. Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication graduates carry a median of $23,250 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public relations, advertising, & applied communication degree recipients from George Washington University generally make around $73,749. Set against $23,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 47%.
Georgetown University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public relations, advertising, & applied communication, landing the #2 spot this year. Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,089. Students borrow a median of $16,483 to complete the public relations, advertising, & applied communication program here. Soon after graduation, public relations, advertising, & applied communication degree recipients from Georgetown University generally make around $91,362. Set against $16,483 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Georgetown University admits about 13% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Howard University one of the best values for public relations, advertising, & applied communication. Howard University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Students from in state pay about $35,810 in tuition and fees. Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication graduates of Howard University earn a median of $39,120 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Howard University admits about 41% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 4 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.
