2027 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools in the The Plains States Region

[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 schools below stand out for delivering a strong public relations, advertising, & applied communication education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for public relations, advertising, & applied communication students.
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2027 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools in the The Plains States Region
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
For return on investment in public relations, advertising, & applied communication, no school beat North Dakota State University Main Campus this year. Set in the city of Fargo, North Dakota State University Main Campus is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,910, compared with $15,564 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the public relations, advertising, & applied communication program here. Soon after graduation, public relations, advertising, & applied communication degree recipients from North Dakota State University Main Campus generally make around $39,223. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 95%.
Bellevue University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public relations, advertising, & applied communication, landing the #2 spot this year. Bellevue University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Bellevue. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,873. Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication graduates carry a median of $27,852 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public relations, advertising, & applied communication degree recipients from Bellevue University generally make around $61,548. Set against $27,852 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Missouri State University Springfield came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value public relations, advertising, & applied communication schools. Set in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,502, compared with $18,770 for out-of-state students. Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication graduates carry a median of $23,329 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public relations, advertising, & applied communication degree recipients from Missouri State University Springfield generally make around $40,178. Set against $23,329 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Nebraska Lincoln came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value public relations, advertising, & applied communication schools. Set in the city of Lincoln, University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,434, with out-of-state students paying around $28,584. Students borrow a median of $23,258 to complete the public relations, advertising, & applied communication program here. Soon after graduation, public relations, advertising, & applied communication degree recipients from University Of Nebraska Lincoln generally make around $42,168. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Minnesota State University Mankato one of the best values for public relations, advertising, & applied communication. Set in the city of Mankato, Minnesota State University Mankato is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,572 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $18,942. Students borrow a median of $25,260 to complete the public relations, advertising, & applied communication program here. Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication graduates of Minnesota State University Mankato earn a median of $53,088 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,260 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Kansas State University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value public relations, advertising, & applied communication schools. Located in the city of Manhattan, Kansas State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,221, compared with $28,568 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for public relations, advertising, & applied communication graduates is $23,546. Soon after graduation, public relations, advertising, & applied communication degree recipients from Kansas State University generally make around $51,543. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
Simpson College landed the #7 spot for public relations, advertising, & applied communication value this year. Located in the town of Indianola, Simpson College is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $47,656. Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication graduates carry a median of $26,816 in student loans. Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication graduates of Simpson College earn a median of $41,925 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,816 median debt. Simpson College admits about 86% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.