2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
For this year’s “Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 108 colleges that offer 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the public relations program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s list. BYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 101 bachelors’s PR 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 $13,322 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full Brigham Young University - Provo Public Relations Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in San Juan, , and it awarded 37 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UPR Rio Piedras is $11,714 for bachelor’s degree pr students.
Read full report on Public Relations at University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s list. South Dakota State is located in Brookings, South Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s PR degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $19,252 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students per year to attend South Dakota State.
The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.
UNI also made our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend UNI is $15,620 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low 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 University of Northern Iowa
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 77 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.
Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $15,496 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students per year to attend Iowa State University.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Minnesota State University - Moorhead ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s list. MSU Moorhead is a medium-sized school located in Moorhead, Minnesota that handed out 2 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Moorhead is $16,893 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Texas Tech University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 157 bachelors’s PR degrees to qualified students.
Texas Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech University is $17,571 for bachelor’s degree pr students.
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 at Texas Tech University
With a ranking of #8, Georgia Southern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s list. GaSou is a large public school situated in Statesboro, Georgia. It awarded 87 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,536 for bachelor’s degree pr students per year to attend GaSou.
University of Florida ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 196 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s PR students in 2019-2020.
UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $6,302 for bachelor’s degree pr students.
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 University of Florida
University of Houston ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s list. UH is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $12,838 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #11, Franklin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Franklin University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Franklin University is $12,895 for bachelor’s degree pr students.
With a ranking of #12, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 80 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $20,895 for bachelor’s degree pr students per year to attend Illinois State University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Appalachian State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #13. Appalachian State 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 $13,920 for Bachelor’s Degree PR 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Ferris State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Ferris is a fairly large school located in Big Rapids, Michigan that handed out 7 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Ferris is $12,889 for bachelor’s degree pr students.
With a ranking of #15, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 9 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for bachelor’s degree pr students.
Read full report on Public Relations at Eastern Illinois University
University of Central Missouri ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of Central Missouri is located in Warrensburg, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s PR degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Missouri is $13,677 for bachelor’s degree pr students.
Read full report on Public Relations at University of Central Missouri
Missouri State University - Springfield came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Missouri State is a public institution located in Springfield, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $16,725 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students per year to attend Missouri State.
Full Missouri State University - Springfield Public Relations Report
Harding University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Harding is located in Searcy, Arkansas and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s PR degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Harding University is $19,375 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Texas State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Texas State University is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 202 bachelors’s PR degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Texas State University is $15,230 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students.
San Jose State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s list. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 60 bachelors’s PR degrees to qualified students.
San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $14,928 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, 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 86%.
University of Georgia came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Georgia is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 161 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $13,649 for bachelor’s degree pr students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.
University of Memphis landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. UofM is located in Memphis, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s PR degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for UofM is $13,248 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students.
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #23. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 46 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $9,622 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students per year to attend CSULB.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Full California State University - Long Beach Public Relations Report
SUNY Fredonia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. SUNY Fredonia is a small school located in Fredonia, New York that handed out 29 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SUNY Fredonia is $14,824 for bachelor’s degree pr students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.
SUNY Oswego came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. SUNY Oswego is located in Oswego, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s PR degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $15,665 for Bachelor’s Degree PR students per year to attend SUNY Oswego.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Bill Koplitz.
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