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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations & Advertising

7 Ranked Colleges
19 Degrees Awarded
$32,800 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Relations Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Relations Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 21,099 people earned their degree in public relations and advertising, making the major the 52nd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, public relations and 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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 19 public relations and advertising graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Relations Major” ranking, we looked at 7 colleges that offer a degree in public relations and advertising. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their public relations and advertising program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Relations Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Relations Major

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

Top 7 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations & Advertising

1
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend George Mason University. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Relations Major. Located in Fairfax, Virginia, this large public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s public relations students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full George Mason University Public Relations & Advertising Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio University - Athens Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Relations Major. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a large school located in Athens, Ohio that handed out 4 doctorate’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Ohio University - Athens Campus

3

Out of the 7 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Relations Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #3 spot on the list. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 3 doctorate’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at IUPUI

4

Out of the 7 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Relations Major that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at The University of Texas at Austin

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Central Florida. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Relations Major list. University of Central Florida is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 110 doctorate’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 Central Florida Public Relations & Advertising Report

5
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Oregon State University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Relations Major. This large school is located in Corvallis, Oregon, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Oregon State

5

Out of the 7 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Relations Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Colorado State University - Fort Collins landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fort Collins, Colorado, and it awarded 13 doctorate’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Colorado State Public Relations & Advertising Report

Notes and References

References

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