by our College Data Analytics Team
[Public Relations Advertising](/majors/communication-journalism-media/public-relations-advertising/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a public relations advertising degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
College Factual analyzed 11 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying public relations advertising schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send public relations advertising graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
For graduate earnings in public relations advertising, no school beat San Jose State University this year. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State University is a public institution. Public Relations Advertising graduates of San Jose State University earn a median of about $75,904 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of San Francisco earned it the #2 place for public relations advertising. Set in the city of San Francisco, University Of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, public relations advertising degree recipients from University Of San Francisco typically earn about $89,358 annually.
Pepperdine University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public relations advertising schools. Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Malibu. Early-career public relations advertising graduates from Pepperdine University make a median of around $75,482 per year.
A rank of #4 makes Chapman University one of the highest-paying schools for public relations advertising. Located in the city of Orange, Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the public relations advertising program here go on to a median salary of roughly $75,336.
A rank of #5 makes San Diego State University one of the highest-paying schools for public relations advertising. Set in the city of San Diego, San Diego State University is a public institution. Public Relations Advertising graduates of San Diego State University earn a median of about $69,123 a year early in their careers.
National University earned the #6 position for public relations advertising graduate earnings this year. National University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Diego. Public Relations Advertising graduates of National University earn a median of about $50,070 a year early in their careers.
University Of Southern California ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public relations advertising schools. University Of Southern California is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. Students who complete the public relations advertising program here go on to a median salary of roughly $74,458.
California State University Dominguez Hills ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public relations advertising schools. Located in the city of Carson, California State University Dominguez Hills is a public institution. Early-career public relations advertising graduates from California State University Dominguez Hills make a median of around $56,022 per year.
California Baptist University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public relations advertising schools. Located in the city of Riverside, California Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, public relations advertising degree recipients from California Baptist University typically earn about $56,635 annually.
Biola University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public relations advertising schools. Located in the suburb of La Mirada, Biola University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career public relations advertising graduates from Biola University make a median of around $36,319 per year.
California State University Long Beach ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public relations advertising schools. Located in the city of Long Beach, California State University Long Beach is a public institution. Early-career public relations advertising graduates from California State University Long Beach make a median of around $28,226 per year.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries public relations advertising graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 11 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.