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2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

15 Ranked Colleges
831 Degrees Awarded
$22,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois

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 Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Illinois, there were 953 public relations and advertising graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,467 and $24,558 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 831 public relations and advertising graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking analyzed 15 colleges that offered a degree in public relations and advertising. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public relations and advertising programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public relations and advertising program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. 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 Illinois” list to help you make the college decision.

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. 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 Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree public relations students.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations & Advertising in Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 245 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree public relations students list, UIUC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students per year to attend UIUC.

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 low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

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

#2

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 80 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree public relations students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Illinois State University

#3

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public relations students in 2019-2020.

EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,607 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students per year to attend EIU.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Eastern Illinois University

#4

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bradley University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Peoria, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 69 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public relations students in 2019-2020.

Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,634 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students per year to attend Bradley University.

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 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%.

Full Bradley Public Relations & Advertising Report

#5

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Trinity Christian College landed the #5 spot on the list. Palos Heights, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Trinity Christian, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Trinity Christian College is $21,904 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Trinity Christian

#6

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Columbia is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $31,099 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Columbia

#7

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Dominican University is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

Dominican U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $19,268 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students per year to attend Dominican U.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Dominican University

#8

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #8. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Olivet Nazarene University

#9

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

North Park University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

North Park also made our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for North Park is $19,170 for illinois bachelor’s degree public relations students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at North Park

#10

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 1 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $21,485 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 & Advertising at Elmhurst

#11

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Saint Xavier University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #11. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

SXU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,528 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students per year to attend Saint Xavier University.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at SXU

#12

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public relations students in 2019-2020.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Central is $24,786 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Central College Public Relations & Advertising Report

#13

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Monmouth, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Monmouth, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Monmouth College is $17,061 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students.

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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Monmouth Public Relations & Advertising Report

#14

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, DePaul University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. DePaul is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 189 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul also took the #6 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePaul University is $30,090 for illinois bachelor’s degree public relations 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%.

Full DePaul Public Relations & Advertising Report

#15

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 121 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $35,407 for illinois bachelor’s degree public relations students per year to attend Loyola University Chicago.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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 85%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Loyola Chicago

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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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