2027 Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Schools in District of Columbia

[Public Relations & Advertising](/majors/communication-journalism-media/public-relations-advertising/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong public relations & advertising education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value public relations & advertising schools.
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2027 Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Schools in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public relations & advertising, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Schools
For return on investment in public relations & advertising, no school beat George Washington University this year. Set in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,710. Typical student debt for public relations & advertising graduates is $23,250. Public Relations & Advertising graduates of George Washington University earn a median of $73,569 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 47% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Georgetown University earned it the #2 place for public relations & advertising. Set in the city of Washington, Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,089. Students borrow a median of $16,483 to complete the public relations & advertising program here. Public Relations & Advertising graduates of Georgetown University earn a median of $91,362 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,483 median debt. Roughly 13% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in public relations & advertising will find it at American University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $58,771. Public Relations & Advertising graduates carry a median of $26,442 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public relations & advertising degree recipients from American University generally make around $56,877. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 62%.
Students looking for strong value in public relations & advertising will find it at Howard University, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Washington, Howard University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $35,810 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the public relations & advertising program here. Early-career public relations & advertising graduates make about $39,120. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 41%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.