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2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major

36 Ranked Colleges
722 Degrees Awarded
$32,400 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 4,203 people earned their degree in public relations, advertising, and applied communication, making the major the 170th most popular in the United States.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 722 public relations, advertising, and applied communication graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major” ranking, we looked at 36 colleges that offer a degree in public relations, advertising, and applied communication. That schools that top this list have a program in public relations, advertising, and applied communication in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree public relations, advertising, and applied communication students.

Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication

1

Out of the 36 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Universidad del Sagrado Corazon landed the #1 spot on the list. Santurce, is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to 87 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Universidad del Sagrado Corazon

2
Trinity College crest
Trinity Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Trinity Washington University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major list. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Trinity College

3
Marist crest
Marist College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Out of the 36 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Marist College landed the #3 spot on the list. Poughkeepsie, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Marist

4
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Syracuse University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major. Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Syracuse, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 117 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Syracuse Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

5
Saint Peter's College crest
Saint Peter's University
Jersey City, New Jersey

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Peter’s University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major list. Jersey City, New Jersey is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Saint Peter’s University

6
Emerson crest
Emerson College
Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #6, Emerson College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 17 masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Emerson

7
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

With a ranking of #7, Georgetown University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major list. Georgetown University is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 68 masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Georgetown University

8
CCNY crest
The City College of New York
New York, New York

The City College of New York ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at The City College of New York

9
Sacred Heart crest
Sacred Heart University
Fairfield, Connecticut

Sacred Heart University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major ranking, coming in at #9. Sacred Heart is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fairfield, Connecticut. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Sacred Heart University

10
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

With a ranking of #10, Texas Tech University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major list. Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Texas Tech University Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

11

Universidad del Turabo ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major list. This fairly large school is located in Gurabo, , and it awarded 11 masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Universidad del Turabo Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

12

The University of West Florida landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major ranking. UWF is a public institution located in Pensacola, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full The University of West Florida Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

13
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 51 masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Florida State Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

14
Ole Miss crest
University of Mississippi
University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major ranking. Ole Miss is a large public school situated in University, Mississippi. It awarded 22 masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full University of Mississippi Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

15
East Stroudsburg University crest
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #15, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major list. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 5 masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

16
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Drexel University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Drexel

17

Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico - Ponce came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Ponce, , and it awarded 3 masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico - Ponce

18

Maryville University of Saint Louis came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major ranking. Maryville U is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Maryville U Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

18
Gannon crest
Gannon University
Erie, Pennsylvania

Gannon University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major list. Erie, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Gannon Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

20
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major ranking, coming in at #20. Ball State University is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Ball State Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

21
TCU crest
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, Texas

Texas Christian University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major ranking, coming in at #21. TCU is a fairly large school located in Fort Worth, Texas that handed out 7 masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full TCU Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

22
Coastal Carolina University crest
Coastal Carolina University
Conway, South Carolina

Coastal Carolina University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major ranking. Located in Conway, South Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication students in 2020-2021.

Full Coastal Carolina University Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Report

23
Buffalo State crest
Buffalo State
Buffalo, New York

Buffalo State ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major list. Buffalo State is a medium-sized public school situated in Buffalo, New York. It awarded 5 masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at Buffalo State

24
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major ranking. UNF is a fairly large school located in Jacksonville, Florida that handed out 11 masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at UNF

25
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Major ranking, coming in at #25. University of Oregon is located in Eugene, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 masters’s public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication at UO

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