A degree in public relations & advertising is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #52 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.
College Factual looked at 209 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 21,275 degrees in public relations & advertising annually.
Learn how to use the latest technology and tactics to manage the flow of information between brands and the public with your Master's in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations at Southern New Hampshire University.
Keep your skills and knowledge at the forefront of new media technologies with this specialized online master's from Southern New Hampshire University.
Choosing a Great Public Relations & Advertising School
Your choice of public relations & advertising school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Public Relations & Advertising School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Pick Your Public Relations & Advertising Degree Level
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you.
When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
Learn how to use the latest technology and tactics to manage the flow of information between brands and the public with your Master's in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations at Southern New Hampshire University.
Keep your skills and knowledge at the forefront of new media technologies with this specialized online master's from Southern New Hampshire University.
Best Schools for Public Relations & Advertising in the United States
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the public relations degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Every student pursuing a degree in public relations & advertising needs to check out Boston University. Boston U is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Boston U is a great university overall.
There were about 404 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent year we have data available. Those public relations & advertising students who get their degree from Boston University earn $32,021 more than the typical public relations graduate.
It's difficult to beat The University of Texas at Austin if you wish to pursue a degree in public relations & advertising. Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #46 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.
There were approximately 554 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from The University of Texas at Austin receive an earnings boost of around $6,645 above the average earnings of public relations & advertising majors.
It is difficult to beat George Washington University if you wish to pursue a degree in public relations & advertising. GWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #25 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.
There were approximately 130 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent year we have data available. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from George Washington University receive an earnings boost of approximately $31,608 above the typical earnings of public relations & advertising graduates.
It is hard to beat University of Minnesota - Twin Cities if you wish to pursue a degree in public relations & advertising. Located in the city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.
There were approximately 176 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available.
Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.
There were roughly 568 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from Michigan State University get an earnings boost of approximately $3,197 over the typical income of public relations & advertising majors.
Syracuse is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Syracuse. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Syracuse is a great university overall.
There were about 358 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent year we have data available. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from Syracuse University earn a boost of approximately $16,497 over the typical earnings of public relations & advertising majors.
Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were roughly 44 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from Northwestern University get an earnings boost of about $40,460 over the average income of public relations & advertising graduates.
MA in Communication - Public RelationsProgram Name
Learn how to use the latest technology and tactics to manage the flow of information between brands and the public with your Master's in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations at Southern New Hampshire University.
Located in the midsize city of Athens, UGA is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 68 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.
There were approximately 391 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent data year. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from University of Georgia receive an earnings boost of about $3,347 over the typical income of public relations & advertising majors.
Located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #56 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UF is a great university overall.
There were about 386 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the public relations program earn around $42,099 in the first couple years of working.
Located in the suburb of Dallas, SMU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.
There were roughly 137 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at SMU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the public relations & advertising degree program at Southern Methodist University make $9,867 above the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 178 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from University of Southern California receive an earnings boost of approximately $8,285 over the typical income of public relations & advertising graduates.
MA in Communication - New Media & MarketingProgram Name
Keep your skills and knowledge at the forefront of new media technologies with this specialized online master's from Southern New Hampshire University.
Located in the city of Philadelphia, Temple is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 8th out of 103 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
There were roughly 285 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Temple in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the public relations program report average early career earnings of $41,165.
Located in the distant town of Pullman, Wazzu is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 50 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.
There were approximately 310 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Wazzu in the most recent data year. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from Washington State University earn a boost of around $3,859 above the average income of public relations & advertising graduates.
UO is a very large public university located in the city of Eugene. This university ranks 1st out of 29 schools for overall quality in the state of Oregon.
There were approximately 499 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UO in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, public relations degree recipients usually earn around $42,230 in their early careers.
Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 218 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public relations & advertising degree program at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign get $7,154 above the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
Located in the large suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #63 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Pepperdine is a great university overall.
There were about 127 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Pepperdine in the most recent year we have data available. Those public relations & advertising students who get their degree from Pepperdine University receive $4,027 more than the typical public relations grad.
Located in the city of Milwaukee, Marquette is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.
There were about 100 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Marquette in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the public relations program state that they receive average early career earnings of $40,583.
UA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Tuscaloosa. This university ranks 3rd out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Alabama.
There were roughly 363 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UA in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, public relations degree recipients generally earn an average of $42,445 in their early careers.
Located in the suburb of Elon, Elon is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 5th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.
There were about 176 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Elon in the most recent year we have data available.
Learn creative problem-solving skills and expand your knowledge in consumer behavior with an online associate in marketing degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 193 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, public relations degree recipients usually earn around $43,031 at the beginning of their careers.
UNL is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Lincoln. This university ranks 2nd out of 19 colleges for overall quality in the state of Nebraska.
There were roughly 251 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UNL in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the public relations program earn an average of $42,168 in their early career salary.
Located in the suburb of Glassboro, Rowan is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 13th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.
There were approximately 236 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Rowan in the most recent data year. After graduation, public relations degree recipients generally make about $35,116 at the beginning of their careers.
The American University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #61 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means The American University is a great university overall.
There were about 166 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at The American University in the most recent data year. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from American University get an earnings boost of about $11,465 above the average income of public relations & advertising majors.
Are you considering a business career path that involves creativity and problem-solving? The Bachelor of Science in Marketing degree from Southern New Hampshire University can help you build your knowledge in consumer behavior, market research and international marketing.
Miami University - Oxford is a large public university located in the fringe town of Oxford. This university ranks 5th out of 91 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.
There were about 156 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent data year. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from Miami University - Oxford receive an earnings boost of around $8,739 above the typical income of public relations & advertising majors.
U Miami is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Coral Gables. This university ranks 6th out of 70 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.
There were approximately 169 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at U Miami in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, public relations degree recipients generally earn an average of $43,917 at the beginning of their careers.
Here are some additional great schools for Public Relations & Advertising students that almost earned our Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools award.
The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
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 the rest 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).
Credit for the banner image above goes to Bill Koplitz.
Your choice of public relations & advertising school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Public Relations & Advertising School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
