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2023 Best Value Colleges for Public Relations (With Aid)

100 Ranked Colleges
5,216 Degrees Awarded
$14,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Public Relations is the 138th most popular major in the country with 5,216 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 100 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public relations. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public relations programs, but they also 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

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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 Those Getting Aid”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for pr students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Relations (With Aid)

1
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 213 ’s PR degrees to qualified students.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Public Relations Schools” list. It costs about $5,135 for PR students with aid per year to attend UF.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Florida Public Relations Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Austin. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid. The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 139 ’s PR degrees to qualified students.

UT Austin also took the #3 spot in our “Best Public Relations Schools” ranking. It costs about $18,350 for pr students with aid per year to attend UT Austin.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 97%.

Read more about Public Relations at UT Austin

3
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University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

Out of the 100 schools in the Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Georgia landed the #3 spot on the list. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s PR degrees to 132 students in 2020-2021.

UGA also made our “Best Public Relations Schools” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $14,257 for PR students with aid per year to attend UGA.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Relations at UGA

4
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Appalachian State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid. Appalachian State is located in Boone, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s PR degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $13,989 for pr students with aid per year to attend Appalachian State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Read more about Public Relations at Appalachian State

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid list. BYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 88 ’s PR degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BYU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Public Relations Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Provo is $13,474 for pr students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Full Brigham Young University - Provo Public Relations Report

6
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon did quite well in the 2023 Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Eugene, Oregon, this large public school handed out 244 degrees to qualified ’s PR students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UO, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Public Relations Schools” ranking. It costs about $18,047 for PR students with aid per year to attend UO.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 University of Oregon Public Relations Report

7

Iowa State University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 69 ’s PR degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Public Relations Schools” list. It costs about $16,002 for pr students with aid per year to attend Iowa State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Relations at Iowa State University

8
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lubbock, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s PR degrees to 146 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pr students with aid list, Texas Tech has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Public Relations Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech University is $16,194 for PR students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Public Relations at Texas Tech

9
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University of Houston
Houston, Texas

University of Houston came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Houston is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 85 ’s PR degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Houston is $13,721 for pr students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations at UH

10
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 ’s PR degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $16,542 for PR students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations at San Jose State

11
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wazzu is a large public school situated in Pullman, Washington. It awarded 106 ’s PR degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wazzu, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Public Relations Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wazzu is $15,300 for PR students with aid.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full Washington State University Public Relations Report

12

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s PR degrees to 96 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $4,026 for PR students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations at CSUDH

13
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Texas State University is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 201 ’s PR degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Texas State is $14,887 for pr students with aid.

Read full report on Public Relations at Texas State

14
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Northern Kentucky University is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s PR degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,183 for PR students with aid per year to attend NKU.

Read more about Public Relations at Northern Kentucky University

15
Murray State crest
Murray State University
Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Murray State University is a medium-sized school located in Murray, Kentucky that handed out 24 ’s PR degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,736 for PR students with aid per year to attend Murray State University.

Read full report on Public Relations at Murray State University

16
WKU crest
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky

Western Kentucky University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Bowling Green, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s PR degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for WKU is $12,522 for PR students with aid.

Full WKU Public Relations Report

17
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s PR degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pr students with aid list, Michigan State has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Public Relations Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $19,058 for pr students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Public Relations at Michigan State

18

California State University - Long Beach landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 54 ’s PR degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for pr students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 California State University - Long Beach Public Relations Report

19
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The University of Alabama did quite well in the 2023 Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. The University of Alabama is a public institution located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The school has a large population, and it awarded 194 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UA, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Public Relations Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UA is $20,917 for pr students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 more about Public Relations at UA

20
U of I crest
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho

University of Idaho did quite well in the 2023 Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Moscow, Idaho is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s PR degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for U of I is $13,964 for PR students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Relations at U of I

21
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Mount Pleasant, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s PR degrees to 67 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $16,007 for PR students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations at Central Michigan University

22

With a ranking of #22, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Iowa is $16,438 for pr students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations at UNI

23
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

With a ranking of #23, Georgetown University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 89 degrees to qualified ’s PR students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pr students with aid list, Georgetown has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Public Relations Schools” ranking. It costs about $32,108 for pr students with aid per year to attend Georgetown.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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 undergraduate students.

Full Georgetown University Public Relations Report

24
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ferris State University is located in Big Rapids, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s PR degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Ferris State University is $12,213 for pr students with aid.

Full Ferris State University Public Relations Report

25
Franklin University crest
Franklin University
Columbus, Ohio

Franklin University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value PR Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. This medium-sized school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 8 ’s PR degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Franklin University is $7,201 for pr students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 more about Public Relations at Franklin University

Notes and References

References

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Footnotes

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