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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations (Income $48-$75k)

108 Ranked Colleges
4,798 Degrees Awarded
Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Public Relations is the 136th most popular major in the country with 5,347 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,798 public relations graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 108 colleges that offered a degree in public relations. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public relations programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public relations program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The pr school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations (Income $48-$75k)

#1

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington and Lee University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lexington, Virginia. It awarded 21 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.

Washington and Lee also made our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Washington and Lee University is $4,718 for bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Public Relations at Washington and Lee University

#2

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 108 schools in the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 196 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k list, UF has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,528 for bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Florida.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Relations at UF

#2 in overall quality

Out of the 108 schools in the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 181 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also made our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $15,757 for bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Public Relations Report

#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. BYU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 101 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,466 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Relations at Brigham Young University - Provo

#5

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Georgia. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Georgia is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 161 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.

UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $14,748 for bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UGA.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Public Relations at University of Georgia

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUDH is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,907 for bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#7

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio

Franklin University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Franklin University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 7 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Franklin University is $11,869 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Relations at Franklin University

#18 in overall quality

Iowa State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Iowa State University is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 77 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State University is $14,161 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 89%.

Read full report on Public Relations at Iowa State University

#9

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#20 in overall quality

Washington State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Washington State University is a public institution located in Pullman, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 119 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wazzu did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wazzu is $15,548 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Relations at Washington State University

#10

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in San Marcos, Texas, and it awarded 202 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas State is $14,250 for bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Relations at Texas State University

#11

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Houston ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Houston is a large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 86 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UH is $12,505 for bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Relations at University of Houston

#12

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#19 in overall quality

Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Texas Tech is a large public school situated in Lubbock, Texas. It awarded 157 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas Tech, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,421 for bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Texas Tech.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Public Relations at Texas Tech University

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 46 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s PR students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,807 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 CSULB Public Relations Report

#14

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NKU is $10,039 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Relations at NKU

University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Juan, , and it awarded 37 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,888 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UPR Rio Piedras.

Full UPR Rio Piedras Public Relations Report

#16

University of Oregon

Eugene, Oregon
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, University of Oregon did quite well on the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Eugene, Oregon, this large public school handed out 181 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s PR students in 2019-2020.

UO did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oregon is $15,109 for bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UO Public Relations Report

#17

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Appalachian State University is located in Boone, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 89 bachelors’s PR degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State is $13,827 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Relations at Appalachian State

#18

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#23 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. UNI is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s PR degrees to qualified students.

UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNI is $15,729 for bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Relations at University of Northern Iowa

#19

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#16 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 60 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $16,397 for bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Relations at San Jose State University

#20

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 100 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k list, USC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $20,050 for bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full University of Southern California Public Relations Report

#21

Murray State University

Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Murray State University is located in Murray, Kentucky and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s PR degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Murray State is $11,959 for bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Murray State Public Relations Report

#22

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. EIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 9 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $13,560 for bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Eastern Illinois University Public Relations Report

#23

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 70 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $14,591 for bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Relations at Central Michigan University

#24

Syracuse University

Syracuse, New York
#5 in overall quality

Syracuse University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Syracuse, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 115 degrees to qualified bachelors’s PR students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k list, Syracuse has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Syracuse is $24,698 for bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, 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 students.

Full Syracuse Public Relations Report

#25

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Wayne State University is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Wayne State is $13,668 for bachelor’s degree pr students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Relations at Wayne State

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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