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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations & Advertising (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

63 Ranked Colleges
3,035 Degrees Awarded
$11,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Public Relations & Advertising is the 53rd most popular major in the country with 20,229 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,438 public relations and advertising graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,487 and $24,787 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,035 public relations and advertising graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 63 colleges that offered a degree 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Public Relations & Advertising Schools

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 Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

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 Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations & Advertising (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 245 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public relations students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Public Relations & Advertising Report

#2

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Out of the 63 schools in the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the #2 spot on the list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 517 students in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also made our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Michigan State

#3

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,366 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 UW - River Falls Public Relations & Advertising Report

#4

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ball State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ball State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $8,403 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Ball State

#15 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 48 bachelors’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Eau Claire, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $11,528 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#6

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio

With a ranking of #6, Franklin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public relations students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Franklin University is $11,328 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Franklin University

#7

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

With a ranking of #7, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 152 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $11,578 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at GVSU

#8

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Big Rapids, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,207 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ferris State University.

Full Ferris State University Public Relations & Advertising Report

With a ranking of #9, Miami University - Oxford did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Miami University - Oxford is a public institution located in Oxford, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 183 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Miami University - Oxford also took the #4 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $13,759 for Great Lakes Region 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.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Miami University - Oxford

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large public school situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It awarded 20 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $11,687 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at UW Oshkosh

#11

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Central Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 117 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Central Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,598 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Central Michigan.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Central Michigan University

#12

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Evansville, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,244 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USI.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at University of Southern Indiana

#13

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, Michigan

With a ranking of #13, Northern Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Marquette, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public relations students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Michigan University is $9,137 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Northern Michigan University

#14

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,490 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland.

Full Oakland Public Relations & Advertising Report

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 3 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $5,052 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full IUPUI Public Relations & Advertising Report

#16

Albion College

Albion, Michigan

With a ranking of #16, Albion College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Albion is a small school located in Albion, Michigan that handed out 1 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,032 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Albion College.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Albion

#17

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 80 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,470 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State University.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Illinois State

#18

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Western Michigan University is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 104 bachelors’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WMU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,021 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WMU.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Western Michigan University

#19

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,350 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at EIU

#20

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Wayne State University is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State is $11,413 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Wayne State Public Relations & Advertising Report

#21

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Xavier University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SXU is $11,266 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SXU Public Relations & Advertising Report

#22

Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Marquette University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 119 students in 2019-2020.

Marquette not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Marquette University is $19,169 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Marquette University

#23

Hanover College

Hanover, Indiana

Hanover College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hanover is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Hanover is $16,539 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Hanover College

#24

Franklin College

Franklin, Indiana

With a ranking of #24, Franklin College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Franklin College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Franklin, Indiana. It awarded 15 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,541 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Franklin College.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Franklin College

#25

Taylor University

Upland, Indiana

Taylor University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Taylor U is located in Upland, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

Taylor U also took the #12 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,399 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree public relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Taylor U.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full Taylor U Public Relations & Advertising Report

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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.

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