2026 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools in New York
[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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 9 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for public relations, advertising, & applied communication students.
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2026 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools in New York
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
Suny College At Buffalo tops our 2026 list of the best value public relations, advertising, & applied communication schools in New York. Suny College At Buffalo is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Buffalo. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,533, compared with $19,653 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for public relations, advertising, & applied communication graduates is $25,257. Soon after graduation, public relations, advertising, & applied communication degree recipients from Suny College At Buffalo generally make around $39,412. Set against $25,257 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Suny College At Buffalo admits about 73% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in public relations, advertising, & applied communication will find it at Canisius College, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Buffalo, Canisius College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,200. Students borrow a median of $24,673 to complete the public relations, advertising, & applied communication program here. Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication graduates of Canisius College earn a median of $42,672 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 72%.
A rank of #3 makes Ithaca College one of the best values for public relations, advertising, & applied communication. Ithaca College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Ithaca. Students from in state pay about $52,616 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for public relations, advertising, & applied communication graduates is $23,250. Soon after graduation, public relations, advertising, & applied communication degree recipients from Ithaca College generally make around $39,446. That is a strong return on a $23,250 median debt. Ithaca College admits about 69% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Marist College earned it the #4 place for public relations, advertising, & applied communication. Located in the suburb of Poughkeepsie, Marist College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $47,620 in tuition and fees. Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication graduates carry a median of $25,962 in student loans. Early-career public relations, advertising, & applied communication graduates make about $70,802. Set against $25,962 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Marist College admits about 56% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes Syracuse University one of the best values for public relations, advertising, & applied communication. Located in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $65,528 in tuition and fees. Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public relations, advertising, & applied communication degree recipients from Syracuse University generally make around $58,798. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Roughly 46% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 9 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.
