2026 Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools in Pennsylvania
Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 17 schools to find the best for public relations, advertising, & applied communication students.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication in Pennsylvania
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the public relations, advertising, & applied communication degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication
No school ranked higher than West Chester University Of Pennsylvania this year for public relations, advertising, & applied communication. This large public university is located in the suburb of West Chester. Roughly 70% of students complete a degree within six years here. West Chester University Of Pennsylvania awarded about 11 public relations, advertising, & applied communication degrees in the most recent data year.
Read more about the public relations, advertising, & applied communication program at West Chester University Of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State University World Campus came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best public relations, advertising, & applied communication schools. Pennsylvania State University World Campus is a large public school located in the city of University Park. Roughly 34% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 32 public relations, advertising, & applied communication degrees were awarded at Pennsylvania State University World Campus in the most recent year.
See the full public relations, advertising, & applied communication program report for Pennsylvania State University World Campus
Students looking for a strong public relations, advertising, & applied communication program will find one at Messiah College, which ranked #3. Messiah College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Mechanicsburg. The six-year graduation rate is 75%. About 10 public relations, advertising, & applied communication degrees were awarded at Messiah College in the most recent year. Students who receive their public relations, advertising, & applied communication degree from Messiah College earn around $48,957 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $26,195 to complete this degree.
See the full public relations, advertising, & applied communication program report for Messiah College
Susquehanna University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best public relations, advertising, & applied communication schools. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the town of Selinsgrove. The six-year graduation rate is 82%. Susquehanna University awarded about 21 public relations, advertising, & applied communication degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public relations, advertising, & applied communication degree recipients from Susquehanna University generally make around $36,632. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000.
Read more about the public relations, advertising, & applied communication program at Susquehanna University
A rank of #5 makes Drexel University one of the top schools for public relations, advertising, & applied communication. Drexel University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. Drexel University graduates 78% of students within six years. Drexel University awarded about 47 public relations, advertising, & applied communication degrees in the most recent data year. Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication graduates of Drexel University earn a median of $41,800 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in public relations, advertising, & applied communication from Drexel University
Point Park University landed the #6 spot for public relations, advertising, & applied communication this year. Point Park University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh. The six-year graduation rate is 58%. There were roughly 19 public relations, advertising, & applied communication students who graduated with this degree at Point Park University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public relations, advertising, & applied communication degree recipients from Point Park University generally make around $32,495. Students borrow a median of $28,850 to complete this degree.
See the full public relations, advertising, & applied communication program report for Point Park University
More Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Rankings
View All Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 17 schools evaluated.
- 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.
