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2024 Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region

20 Ranked Colleges
2,591 Degrees Awarded
$19,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 in the Southwest Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 21,099 people earned their degree in public relations & advertising, making the major the 52nd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, public relations & advertising graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,287 and had an average of $23,973 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 2,591 public relations & advertising graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,541 and $22,069 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree in public relations & advertising. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public relations & advertising programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the public relations & advertising program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Public Relations & Advertising Schools

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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 in the Southwest Region” 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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region public relations students.

Top 20 Best Value Colleges for Public Relations & Advertising in the Southwest Region

1
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas Tech University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region. Texas Tech is a public institution located in Lubbock, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 417 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region public relations students list, Texas Tech has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech University is $16,194 for Southwest Region Public Relations students.

The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Texas Tech Public Relations & Advertising Report

2
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school handed out 184 degrees to qualified ’s public relations students in 2020-2021.

UH also took the #5 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $13,721 for southwest region public relations students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at UH

3
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Arizona University. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region list. This large school is located in Flagstaff, Arizona, and it awarded 159 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

NAU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $14,308 for southwest region public relations students per year to attend Northern Arizona University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at NAU

4
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region. Texas State University is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 334 ’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

Texas State also made our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $14,887 for southwest region public relations students per year to attend Texas State University.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Texas State

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M University - College Station. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 8 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Texas A&M College Station not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $18,919 for Southwest Region Public Relations students per year to attend Texas A&M University - College Station.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Texas A&M College Station

6

University of North Texas came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Denton, Texas, this large public school handed out 39 diplomas to qualified ’s public relations students in 2020-2021.

UNT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Texas is $14,122 for southwest region public relations students.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at University of North Texas

7

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2024 Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Stillwater, Oklahoma that handed out 119 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region public relations students list, OSU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $14,237 for southwest region public relations students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full OSU Public Relations & Advertising Report

8

Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Arizona State University - Skysong is a public institution located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Skysong, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Arizona State University - Skysong

9

University of Central Oklahoma came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Edmond, Oklahoma is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public relations degrees to 70 students in 2020-2021.

UCO did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $17,339 for southwest region public relations students per year to attend UCO.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at University of Central Oklahoma

10

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #10. Norman, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public relations degrees to 71 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region public relations students list, University of Oklahoma has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is $21,122 for southwest region public relations students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Oklahoma Public Relations & Advertising Report

11

West Texas A&M University landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. West Texas A&M University is a medium-sized public school situated in Canyon, Texas. It awarded 15 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

West Texas A&M University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend West Texas A&M University is $15,033 for southwest region public relations students.

Full West Texas A&M University Public Relations & Advertising Report

12

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #12 spot on the 2024 Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public relations degrees to 107 students in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $13,107 for Southwest Region Public Relations students.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full ASU - Tempe Public Relations & Advertising Report

13

Dallas Baptist University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region list. Dallas Baptist University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 31 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

DBU also made our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $25,301 for Southwest Region Public Relations students per year to attend Dallas Baptist University.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at DBU

14

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public relations degrees to 616 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region public relations students list, UT Austin has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $18,350 for southwest region public relations students per year to attend UT Austin.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at UT Austin

15

The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #15. UTEP is a large school located in El Paso, Texas that handed out 85 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

UTEP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UTEP is $9,000 for Southwest Region Public Relations students.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at UTEP

16
ORU crest
Oral Roberts University
Tulsa, Oklahoma

With a ranking of #16, Oral Roberts University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region list. Oral Roberts University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It awarded 15 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region public relations students list, ORU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oral Roberts University is $19,355 for southwest region public relations students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full ORU Public Relations & Advertising Report

17
Grand Canyon University crest
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona

With a ranking of #17, Grand Canyon University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region list. This large school is located in Phoenix, Arizona, and it awarded 5 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Grand Canyon University also took the #20 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Canyon University is $20,585 for Southwest Region Public Relations students.

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

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Grand Canyon University

18

With a ranking of #18, Abilene Christian University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region list. Abilene Christian is located in Abilene, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Abilene Christian, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $28,051 for Southwest Region Public Relations students per year to attend Abilene Christian.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Abilene Christian University

19
TCU crest
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, Texas

Texas Christian University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region list. Fort Worth, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public relations degrees to 103 students in 2020-2021.

TCU also took the #4 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $39,942 for southwest region public relations students per year to attend Texas Christian University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Texas Christian University

20

Southern Methodist University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations Schools in the Southwest Region list. SMU is a fairly large school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 107 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

SMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern Methodist University is $38,208 for Southwest Region Public Relations students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Southern Methodist University Public Relations & Advertising Report

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