2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2019-2020, 20,229 people earned their degree in public relations and advertising, making the major the 53rd most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, public relations and advertising graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $36,513 and had an average of $25,130 in loans still to pay off.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 16,820 public relations and advertising graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 265 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public relations and advertising. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public relations and advertising 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 and advertising program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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The public relations 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 Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k”.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations & Advertising (Income $0-$30k)
Out of the 265 schools in the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington and Lee University landed the #1 spot on the list. Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lexington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Washington and Lee did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Washington and Lee University is $1,612 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Washington and Lee University
Out of the 265 schools in the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 394 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $1,994 for bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Out of the 265 schools in the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 245 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC also took the #4 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,477 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 94%.
Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Out of the 265 schools in the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 517 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public relations students in 2019-2020.
Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $6,686 for bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Michigan State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 109 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
Florida State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $5,360 for bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Florida State University Public Relations & Advertising Report
University of Georgia came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UGA is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 348 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UGA, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $7,541 for bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Florida International University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 171 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $5,002 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida International University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
With a ranking of #8, Fashion Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 282 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
FIT SUNY also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for FIT SUNY is $7,123 for bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Fashion Institute of Technology
University of Central Florida came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCF is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 132 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $6,211 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 more about Public Relations & Advertising at University of Central Florida
University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 80 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $3,950 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Public Relations & Advertising Report
Brigham Young University - Provo came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brigham Young University - Provo is a large school located in Provo, Utah that handed out 243 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
BYU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $8,834 for bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.
Washington State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Pullman, Washington, this large public school awarded 288 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public relations students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Wazzu is also in the top of our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Washington State University is $9,334 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 70 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,455 for bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 567 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Austin has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $12,203 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Texas Tech University is a large public school situated in Lubbock, Texas. It awarded 262 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, Texas Tech is in the top on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $12,317 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas Tech.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Texas Tech University
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s public relations degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $8,870 for bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full San Diego State University Public Relations & Advertising Report
Appalachian State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boone, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 156 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,169 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Appalachian State.
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%.
Full Appalachian State Public Relations & Advertising Report
With a ranking of #18, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 57 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $8,366 for bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at University of Wisconsin - River Falls
Iowa State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 130 bachelors’s public relations degrees to qualified students.
Iowa State excels when it comes to public relations quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $10,054 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Iowa State
Northern Kentucky University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NKU is a fairly large public school situated in Highland Heights, Kentucky. It awarded 32 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for NKU is $4,156 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Northern Kentucky University
California State University - Long Beach ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 46 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,364 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 89%.
Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at California State University - Long Beach
With a ranking of #22, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. ASU - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 92 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $7,044 for bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at ASU - Tempe
University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. This large school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 221 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
UNL also made our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $12,216 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNL.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Ball State is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $8,403 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Ball State University
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. OSU is a large school located in Stillwater, Oklahoma that handed out 122 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for OSU is $8,669 for bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Rest of the Best 40 in Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k
Not only did these schools make the top 40 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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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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